Mange
by DarthMind
Summary: *UPDATED* Mange winds up, new beginings and differnet endings.
1. Mange: Prologue

Mange  
  
By  
  
Mastermind (mind@eot.com)  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
Spawn and Related Indicia are copyright by Todd McFarlene and his army of Lawyers, I'm simply paying  
  
homage to him.  
  
PowerPuff Girls and Related Indicia are copyright of Cartoon Network and Craig McCraken I simply  
  
think they have more potential then they are using now.  
  
Some might remember this character from the episode " Super Zeroes", I've taken the idea and elaborated  
  
on it, please enjoy.  
  
  
  
The city of Townsville was enveloped in a rainstorm the likes of which it hadn't seen in a  
  
while. Needless to say, crime doesn't stop for the rain, and neither did the law enforcement..  
  
Blossom sat in her squad car, waiting for her partner to come back with the stereotypical  
  
donuts and coffee.  
  
She stared out the front of the car, listening to the rain bead off the windshield, and sighed deeply.  
  
This just wasn't the same as her youth.  
  
" 2-David-Charlie, this is central, respond to a possible 10-70 at the 2nd National Bank of  
  
Townsville, over." The radio suddenly chirped.  
  
Blossom perked, and grabbed the mic, " 2-David-Charlie copies, on the way, over and out."  
  
A tall slender gentleman arrived on the passenger side, and opened the door, a police  
  
uniform present, albeit wet, and an assortment of munchies and coffee. He slid into his seat and smiled.  
  
" Miss me?" Blossom asked, putting on her seat belt and popping the car into "D", " Belt in,  
  
we gotta call."  
  
" Where 'bouts?" he asked, biting into a sprinkled donut.  
  
" 2nd National, so belt in and let's go, Sparky!" She commanded as the squad car squealed  
  
off towards the destination.  
  
  
  
A slender female figure walked slowly up the steps of a mid-town apartment building,  
  
rattling a set of keys along her side among other things. Arriving at the main door she walked in  
  
and unlocked the secondary door, and ascended the stairs, all the while trying to balance her bag  
  
of items.  
  
As she walked along a narrow hallway, sounds of various people chattering could be  
  
heard as she finally came to a stop at a brown colored door with a variety of stickers on it, one  
  
of which read " PPG", and another distinct one read " PowerPuff Team". She pulled out a set of keys,  
  
fumbled with them a moment and unlocked the door. Stepping into the dark room, she pushed the door  
  
shut and locked the deadbolt. She then threw the keys somewhere on what looked like a coffee table  
  
nearby and searched blindly for a moment along the wall, finding a light switch and turning it on.  
  
The lights flickered on slowly, and the female's characteristics shone brighter then before, her  
  
blond hair hung about shoulder length, her baby blue eyes ever present in the semi darkness.  
  
Bubbles set her groceries down and sighed, pulling off her jacket, the ever present " Powerpuff  
  
Team" logo seen earlier present on the back of it, and set it on the back of a chair. She began unloading  
  
the sack and placing various goods on shelves and into the small tattered refrigerator that came with the  
  
apartment, a drawing she had made in crayon as a child hanging ever so slightly crooked on it, held back  
  
a magnet set of her old Powerpuff self.  
  
Bubbles smiled to herself and folded the now empty bag and set it with a stack of similar ones she  
  
kept for trash use, seeing as it saved her from having to buy garbage bags. She walked from her kitchen  
  
area into a carpeted living room, where a small couch and television sat, in the distant corner, a architect  
  
table sat, various drawing utensils scattered about.  
  
She sat down on the green couch, a poof of stuffing sticking out near the back sighed when she  
  
did, letting out more stuffing that landed in a pile below, leading one to believe it had been damaged for a  
  
while.  
  
Flipping on the TV with a remote, she searched through the channels, finding nothing of  
  
interest, she landed on an A&E Biography, just beginning apparently. She twitched slightly as the title  
  
came up, it read, "POWERPUFF GIRLS: The History of Townsville's Greatest Trio"  
  
She sighed and got up, leaving the program to run, slipping off her shirt as she walked into the  
  
bedroom, she stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting it run for a moment as she  
  
finished undressing, her underwear matching her top, which in favor matched the color of her eyes, she  
  
shut the door to the living room as the program came out of commercial.  
  
" The PowerPuff Girls, the worlds greatest trio of super heroines, protecting Townsville and most  
  
often, the entire WORLD from villainy, before bedtime no doubt" the commentator said as pictures of the  
  
three girls, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup flashed across the screen, various news clips showed their  
  
fights with their various arch villains, Mojo Jojo, Fuzzy Lumpkins, Princess Morebucks, and the ever  
  
omnipotent HIM. " But what lay deeper in the girls? What exactly brought their greatness to an end?  
  
What caused them to fall from the news, and for that matter what caused their enemies to seminally fade  
  
out of the headlines? Tonight, that and more will be exposed to you at home, on A&E biography..."  
  
  
  
The squad car slowed to a halt near the side street near the 2nd National Bank, and Blossom and  
  
Sparky got out, guns drawn. She motioned as she took the front, and he made a similar motion back at  
  
her, as he took steps towards the back of the bank.  
  
Blossom took one look at the doors and smiled, they had been broken into alright, and no doubt  
  
the ones responsible for it were still in there, as she was picking up small sounds from the back with her  
  
still perceptive hearing from her crime fighting days of old. She crept in, taking care not to step on the  
  
glass, being silent as possible.  
  
The lobby was a mess, and the drawers all broken into, not the brightest of robbers whoever they  
  
were. She continued stealthily along the floor, her footsteps inaudible as she made her way towards the  
  
sounds, voices becoming clearer.  
  
" Hurry up already, we're running out of time.." a male voice said..  
  
" Art cannot be rushed, Pillage..." a female voice responded.  
  
" Art can't be appreciated in jail either, kick it into gear!" the same male voice said.  
  
Blossom took mental notes as she eased towards the back, the vault having been broken into as  
  
well, she hide behind the door and watched as the voices she heard gained faces.  
  
A large male, about 6 foot stood watching a slender female figure as she worked on a door lock  
  
that separated them from the main stacks of money. Both wore black clothing, the female wearing  
  
spandex and the male wearing a trench coat covering most of his features, both were armed as she soon  
  
took note.  
  
" Almost got it..." the female said, her lock picking nearly complete.  
  
A small click was heard.  
  
" Got it!" she smiled and stood.  
  
" Freeze, Townsville Police!" Blossom yelled out, pulling her gun sights on the male, who  
  
seemed to have the larger of the two guns. " Throw down your weapons and put your hands behind your  
  
heads!"  
  
" Dammit, Pilfer, now look what your lack of skill has done." the male said to the female,  
  
apparently named Pilfer.  
  
" I might actually have to agree with you on that...how do you suppose we're gunna get out of this  
  
one?" the female smiled, standing and flexing her legs.  
  
" Throw down your weapons NOW!" Blossom reasserted herself.  
  
Pillage threw down his gun, it clattered to the floor, and raised his hands again, but not before  
  
pressing a button on his watch.  
  
"FREEZE!" Blossom heard the sound and retrained her gun on them.  
  
" Too late, girly..." Pilfer smiled and pointed to something behind Blossom.  
  
Blossom looked out of the corner of her eye and saw a huge stockpile of Explosives and a timer  
  
starting to tick down from 5 minutes.  
  
"NOW!" Pillage yelled as Pilfer pulled two guns and opened fire, spraying blossom's position  
  
with bullets.  
  
" Shit!" Blossom yelled and dove behind a desk, firing back warning shots. " Sparky!" she called  
  
out he radio on her side, " I'm under fire! call backup, and get Bomb Squad down here!"  
  
Sparky blinked as he ran around the front of the building, pulling out his radio and diving for  
  
cover at the entrance, bullets sounding. " Did you say Bomb?"  
  
" Yes, and a rather large one...less then 5 minutes left till it goes!" Blossom answered, firing her  
  
clip at Pillage as he provided cover fire, will his partner Pilfer ran inside the inner vault.  
  
" Time is important here..." Pillage shouted back at her, changing his clip.  
  
" I know! " she shouted back, a series of clicks and claks later, she ran out, a duffel bag over her  
  
shoulder. " Let's go!"  
  
Blossom leaped up and opened fire, hitting the inside of the vault, ricocheting the bullet around  
  
several times before it hit the timer on the explosives.  
  
" Great..let's go NOW!" Pilfer yelled as the timer ticked away even faster.  
  
Pilfer and Pillage pulled out two guns that fired two balls, one landing next to blossom and  
  
cracking open, filling the area around her with gas.  
  
Blossom coughed, trying to make out the figures running towards her, firing randomly through  
  
the smoke filled room.  
  
" Take a chill pill, toots..." Pillage sneered, slapping a set of handcuffs on Blossom's arm and  
  
connecting the other half to a statue.  
  
" FRE--" Pilfer smacked Sparky aside, gun and all as they ran out the front.  
  
" Shit!" Blossom looked for her gun, which had been dropped during the cuffing.  
  
" Blossom...are you ok?" Sparky yelled from a distance..  
  
" I'm fine. just go follow them!" Blossom gritted her teeth, " Get out before the bomb blows!"  
  
A dark figure appeared in the far corner of the room, unknown to either of the police officers,  
  
and moved closer to Blossom.  
  
" What about you!?" Sparky yelled back.  
  
" I'll be fine, I'm right behind you!"  
  
Sparky hesitated for a moment and followed orders, running out of the bank, sirens in the  
  
distance.  
  
Blossom sighed and gave up looking for her gun, the timer ticking away in the distance. "  
  
Funny.....never thought it would be like this.."  
  
" Ever the Glory hog, huh, Leader-girl?" a mysteriously alien but familiar voice asked.  
  
" Huh?" Blossom looked towards the source, seeing a large black figure moving towards her, and  
  
two green glowing eyes staring her down." Wh-Who's here?"  
  
" No time for that, gotta get you out.." the figure said, it's voice distinctly female, however so  
  
dark.  
  
" What?" Blossom could only manage as she watched the blackness envelope the chain of the  
  
cuffs for a moment, leaving nothing left of the chain, freeing Blossom.  
  
" Now Go!" The figure spoke harshly.  
  
" But...wh-" Blossom was pushed towards the entrance, but not before grabbing hold of  
  
something from the figure, tearing fabric.  
  
" Never could take orders could you. Always gave them..." the voice said, fading to the corner, the  
  
green fierce eyes staring her down still, and they disappeared as well.  
  
Blossom turned and ran for her life, as the timer counted down the final minute, she dove out the  
  
doors in time to hear the explosion behind her, the building going up in shards. Blossom was sent to the  
  
ground hard via shockwaves, knocking the wind out of her.  
  
The police cars screeched before her, medical and bomb specialists running around, some  
  
rushing towards Blossoms location.  
  
Blossom sat up and looked at what she had taken from the figure, and nearly went wide-eyed.  
  
In here hand was a piece of green fabric, with a small mark of black across the center of it,  
  
exactly like the ones she had worn with her sisters in their childhood crime fighting.  
  
"Buttercup.....?" she whispered, looking towards the building, now engulfed in flames.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued after feedback is given.  
  



	2. Mange: Chapter 1

Mange  
  
(Chapter 1)  
  
By  
  
Mastermind (mind@eot.com)  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
Spawn and Related Indicia are copyright by Todd McFarlene and his army of Lawyers, I'm simply paying  
  
homage to him.  
  
Batman Beyond and all related indicia are copyright of Time Warner and the WB, I simply like the way they got Kenny Wayne Sheperd to play the intro to their only feature film (so far) and that's why I refer to it in the intro.  
  
PowerPuff Girls and Related Indicia are copyright of Cartoon Network and Craig McCraken I simply  
  
think they have more potential then they are using now.  
  
Some might remember this character from the episode " Super Zeroes", I've taken the idea and elaborated  
  
on it, please enjoy.  
  
  
  
The introduction music, aka TITLE is the same as "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker", I'm simply in love with that musical number, and it seems to represent the best tone for this work in progress, so if you can, go out and download it or find it, and then tell me what you think, if I'm asked enough, I may script the intro to the music sometime. ==Mastermind  
  
  
  
  
  
Blossom sat staring at her computer screen, sighing softly, watching as her co-workers went home for the day. Various officers walked out, some waving and occasionally calling out to Blossom as they left the precinct for the evening.  
  
Unmotivated, Blossom stared at the screen again after waving to one of them, and then next to the computer it's self, noting the large stack of paperwork she had left to complete from her incident at the bank earlier that week; police paperwork wasn't the best part of the job.  
  
She typed a few lines in her incident report, and then took a sip of her coffee, and leaned back in her chair, a small squeak coming from the joints. Blossom opened the file drawer, and pulled out a picture frame, and, giving a quick glance around to her now empty surroundings, she lifted it to her eyesight and stared at it.  
  
She looked over the picture, a grassy field in the background, she remembered it was taken in the backyard of the Professor's house. Blossom smiled as she looked at her young self, that stupid bow. She smiled even more when she remembered the small heart clip that she had in the back of her hair back them, unlike the way she wore her hair now, no spray or clips, just full down the back. Her left arm as wrapped around Bubbles, her ever present smile always there, no matter what she was always ready to look at the brighter side of things.  
  
Blossom's smiling turned blank as she followed her eyes along the path of her right arm, as it wrapped around her other sister...Buttercup.  
  
Buttercup, her half cocked smile. Never listened to her orders. That was one of the main reasons Blossom and Bubbles were here and she was...  
  
A tear rolled down her cheek and she put the photo back into the desk, and closed it, getting back to her reports, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes, " Nails" written across them, a name brand. She searched the top of the desk aimlessly, and then the pencil drawer for a lighter, without luck.  
  
She opened the bottom drawer of the desk and reached in and pulled out the a book of matches, and something else as well. She pulled out the fabric she had taken from the crime scene, unbeknownst to anyone. It wasn't really withholding , she thought, Pilfer and she and her partner had already confirmed Pillage as the perpetrators.  
  
She examined it more closely, it wasn't one of those cheap imitations they sold on Ebay, nor one of those thousand dollar replicas. No doubt about it. It was really the same clothing the professor had given them to where when they were 16, when their clothing started to need, "adjustments" as the professor put it. Still there was a doubt in her mind.  
  
Blossom looked at it, memories, or rather pieces of them, coming back to her, that dreadful day. The flames engulfing Townsville, the United Force of Villains, the riots, and the chaos that ruled during those dark days. That Horrible day, of bittersweet victory.  
  
The Day Buttercup Died.  
  
A set of tears dropped and rolled down her cheek.  
  
She lit a cigarette finally, using a book of matches out of desperation. She inhaled the smoke and nicotine, holding it in her lungs, her eyes closed.  
  
There was only one way to be sure.  
  
  
  
A slender figure lurked amongst the shadows of Townsville Historical Museum's massive structure, making it's way to the back loading docks.  
  
A small loading lamp above the dock shone down on the figure, reveling his exterior, a shiny armor like silver coating. The upper chest plate held the signet of some strange snake eating a small orb. The figure moved stealthy, but surely towards the door, and tested it.  
  
" Locked", it murred, a male voice of sorts, riddled with reverberation.  
  
The figure's eyes cringed in the form of a mock smile, it's eyes the only thing visible through the now apparent mask it wore, totally covering his face. He raised an arm at the door knob, a simple lock below it, and aimed what seemed to be a barrel mounted on his wrist, a small tube leading to a canister on his back.  
  
A small series of beeping later, a silver liquid substance shot out of the barrel and engulfed the lock, slowly working it's way into the key hole, it seemed to solidify, creating a line from his arm to the lock.  
  
Pulling back slightly, he tested the line to make sure it was completely ready, and curled his arm back, the sound of metal on metal softly sounding in the alley. A moment later, he pulled harder and the lock completely pulled out of the door, landing in his hand.  
  
" Works every time." he smiled, walking in by pushing the door open.  
  
Sneaking around the laser defenses with a set of ruby red quartz shades over his eyes, apparently attached to his helmet unit from the inside, he made his way towards the " Great Destruction" exhibit, near the back. Walking past the various displays of pictures and photos taken during " The Fall of Townsville", he came to the display that interested him, a large red book with a symbol identical to the one on his armor's left chest area.  
  
" Bingo", he smiled again, the ruby specs changing into a blue set, his head moving around the display case, examining the alarm trigger.  
  
Raising his right arm again, he aimed towards the display case, in the lower left corner, and fired another line of his liquid metal, converging it into the area and into the form of a circle. The solid circle then began to spin in it's place, a small piercing sound hitting the otherwise stagnant air, and a few seconds later he pulled back on the line connecting him to the circle, bringing a perfectly cut circle opening where the glass used to be.  
  
Setting the piece of glass aside, he reached inside and grabbed the book, hoping there wasn't a hair trigger connected to it from underneath. Yanking the book free, he snuck out the same way he came, evading the lasers and such, and sneaking out the loading docks.  
  
Holding the book up, he let out a small victory laugh and tucked it under his arm and slinked off into the depths of Townsville.  
  
  
  
A pack of minions were on her, she felt their claws cutting into her flesh, but still she fought on, landing blows left and right, sending crimson laser shots and blasts of psi energy from her hands into any who opposed her. Still, the pack seemed endless, for everyone of the demon like monsters she slew, there were ten more. She could hear the sounds of the girls screaming, trying to help her, but the pack was obviously huge around her.  
  
Again and again, she suffered injuries, and it was getting harder and harder to stay conscious. One of her arms finally gave out, she felt nothing in that side of her body, then the other arm went out as she resorted to kicking, finding her lasers were failing too.  
  
The girls cries were getting more and more muffled, the red eyes of her adversaries were getting dimmer and dimmer. Finally, her legs gave, her lower body went numb, her vision remained, without her normal red lasers emitting from them, and she heard the girls scream a final time, and the last thing she saw was the sight of a pair of severed limbs, not a demons, not one she had slain, no these were almost familiar...they were her legs!  
  
Her eyes snapped open, a small cry came from her as she backed into the corner of a abandoned building even more then she already was.  
  
Her breathing was labored, gasping, she could almost feel her heart pounding out of her chest as she realized reality again.  
  
" The dream is always the same.." she thought to herself, " Wish I knew what to make of it."  
  
Staggering to get up, she walked over to the nearby window, the only one not boarded up, and the moonlight from above hit her form, revealing it to any who may be gazing into a eyesore of a condemned building.  
  
She stood silently against the windowsill, her arms inside of her black cloak, her eyes the only thing unhidden by her outfit she had pieced together, and for good reasons, she thought, she wasn't anything pretty to look at. The cloth covering her mouth area, a dark blue of sorts, hung lazily as she eyed the people walking below. Her red cloak sifted slowly as the wind blew through the windowless complex, the sounds of distant traffic gridlock came with it, but she felt nothing.  
  
She sighed softly and walked away from the window, her boots landing loudly in the otherwise silent surroundings, towards a nearby shattered mirror, her image several times over in it's reflection. The glow of her eyes lit up the area around her, as she removed the cloth covering her face.  
  
" Who are you?" she asked softly of the reflection,  
  
She stared at features only seen to herself in the mirror, which made her grunt in disgust, as she quickly covered her face again.  
  
She stared into the mirror, her eyes grew fierce and the glow turned red, as she sent her fists into it, collapsing the weak casing around it and sending it to the floor.  
  
"More like WHAT are you..." she growled lowly, walking over to the doorway out of the room she had called home for the last two days. " And how do I know that girl from the bank?"  
  
She put her hands to her head and grunted, her memories a jumbled puzzle.  
  
" Why can't I remember even who I am!?" she thought to herself.  
  
A distant scream.  
  
" Someone's...in trouble..?" she leaped towards the door, ready to find the a source of the scream, "Wait. what do I care? Why should I help?!.."  
  
It sounded again and she leaped down the collapsed stairways, landing on the ground and running out the doorway towards the scream.  
  
She didn't know why, but she had to protect whoever was in trouble, it came as instinct, she wished she knew why...at least she would have an idea of who she was then.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED AFTER FEEDBACK  
  



	3. Mange: Chapter 2

Mange  
  
(Chapter 2)  
  
By  
  
Mastermind (mind@eot.com)  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
Spawn and Related Indicia are copyright by Todd McFarlene and his army of Lawyers, I'm simply paying homage to him.  
  
Batman Beyond and all related indicia are copyright of Time Warner and the WB, I simply like the way they got Kenny Wayne Shepherd to play the intro to their only feature film (so far) and that's why I refer to it in  
  
the intro.  
  
Christoph © 1997-2002 Mastermind.  
  
PowerPuff Girls and Related Indicia are copyright of Cartoon Network and Craig McCraken I simply think they have more potential then they are using now.  
  
Some might remember this character from the episode "Super Zeroes", I've taken the idea and elaborated on it, please enjoy.  
  
  
  
A lone figure ran along the city streets, shadows covering it, only a slight hint of femininity could be detected to the keenest of eye.  
  
A scream.  
  
The figure switched direction, more detail revealed as it passed under a street light that hadn't yet been knocked out by cross fire, heading down the alley right by it.  
  
She ran down the alleyway, her red cloak flowing behind her like fire as she zeroed in on the scream.  
  
A group of males, surrounding a female, her screams becoming more desperate each time as she moved in.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" one of the guys said, moments before the sick crunching sound of bone breaking sounded and echoed in the alley.  
  
"Bobby!" Another guy screamed, rushing over towards the mysterious force that had suddenly appeared before them.  
  
Several of the men started to throw beer bottles and other trash towards the cloaked figure as it slinked forward more and more, a distinct rattling of metal accompanying it.  
  
"You boys like to play rough?" a grim evil, yet feminine voice asked, her cloak swaying in the wind., " Let's Play rough!"  
  
"Get her!" one of them yelled, prompting the remaining three to rush her.  
  
Instantly she moved, as if instinctively getting out of their path, taking out one with a swift elbow to the back of the head, landing with such force she knew she felt bone fracture.  
  
Another one sliced her torso with a hunting knife, before getting his teeth completely knocked out, followed by his head.  
  
"Shit, she's fast, play times over!" another one yelled, cocking a revolver and emptying two into her, center mass, sending her slamming into the alley brick wall.  
  
"G'damn! You got her Benny!" an ecstatic teenager shouted, slapping the only upwardly mobile punk left on the back. "You got her!"  
  
"Yeah, but who is she?" Benny moved forward towards her slumped figure, noting it wasn't breathing anymore.  
  
"Dunno, must be one of those women-lib nuts, you s'pose?" Benny's only unbroken friend asked, turning to him.  
  
"Don't know, hey, check it out, she's wearing some sorta shroud, hiding her face." Benny pointed, kneeling down to her eye level.  
  
"Hey, Benny, maybe we should get going, someone's bound to call the cops after ya laid two slugs into her." The kid said, glancing around nervously.  
  
"In a minute." Benny said, reaching forward and pulling the scarf from her face, revealing her entire face. "Oh man, you gotta see this, reminds me of one of them circus freaks!"  
  
Suddenly, Benny screamed, snapping his eyes back to sight of his hand being grasped by the girl, which was enough to make him scream, but he slowly began to feel every bone in his hand being crushed by her!  
  
"Nice Shot." Her eyes slanted as she gave an evil grin and her green eyes turned red.  
  
  
  
Blossom blew a puff of smoke out as she exited her squad car, Sparky getting out with her.  
  
"Aw Shit, another alley, why do we always get the alleys?" Sparky grumbled, slipping on his coat.  
  
"Shut up, Sparky." Blossom suddenly said, puffing on her cigarette.  
  
"R-right," Sparky replied, "Sorry"  
  
Sparky walked to the on site officers, who had heard the mini-conversation as well.  
  
"Geez, what's with her?", one officers asked.  
  
"Dunno, she's been weird since the bank explosion." Sparky nodded.  
  
"What do we have?" Blossom ignored the chatter and asked the CSI on scene, who was still gathering evidence.  
  
"Looks like at a local gang, from the pieces lying around, looks like about five of them. Judging from the carnage, it looks like they didn't even stand a chance against whoever it was." A slender male said, his suit and tie out of place with the rest of the attire of uniforms and blossoms skirt/police jacket combo.  
  
"Any idea on a weapon?" Blossom asked, knocking her ashes off near the dumpster.  
  
He removed his goggles and looked at her and then the blood splatters in the street. "Something big..."  
  
"Well that's helpful." Blossom rolled her eyes, walking around, dodging pools of blood.  
  
"It's all I got until they get these back and examine them." CSI said as one of the partial bodies were wheeled off.  
  
"Keep me informed" Blossom said, walking to the alleyway end.  
  
Blossom lit another cigarette and inhaled, leaning against the wall and surveying the damage, trying to form her own conclusions. Who or what could have done this?  
  
Something caught her eye.  
  
Blossom walked over to a place shielded from the light, and knelt, picking something up.  
  
Another piece of fabric, just like she had found at the bank after it exploded.  
  
"Detective!" A officer yelled. "Press is here!."  
  
"Wonderful," Blossom rolled her eyes and inhaled again, exhaling smoke around the cigarette.  
  
Walking back she hid the fabric from prying eyes, and walked to Sparky.  
  
"You got this one; I've got something I need to do." Blossom got in the car and took off, lights flashing.  
  
"Yeah, sure, no problem." He said half heartedly, turning to the press and walking over wondering what his statement was going to be.  
  
  
  
"Authorities have no suspects in custody and no gang has claimed responsibility. This is Grace Chance."  
  
"Hmmm." Bubbles sighed, flipping through the channels."900 channels, and nothings on."  
  
"--Seen leaving the scene here is Detective Blossom Utonium, obviously in a hurry to follow up a hot lead." Another newscaster finished as Bubbles paused, watching a glimpse of her sister police officer.  
  
"Blossom." She sighed again," You never write." She flipped onto the nature channel, flopping the remote onto the couch.  
  
The phone rang, making Bubbles jump. Grabbing it, she pressed the "ON" button and it buzzed to life.  
  
"Hello?" Bubbles asked softly, not many people knew she lived in that apartment, fewer called.  
  
"Bubbles?" a familiar voice asked her.  
  
"Yes? Oh Marty!" Bubbles voice sparked up." You sold one?! Really?"  
  
Her expression turned to a bitter sadness slowly, slumping back to the couch." They couldn't go any higher? Generous? Your Cut?! I only get..." Bubbles hung up the phone and threw it against the wall, shattering it.  
  
"Shit." She stifled a whimper, a tear rolling down her cheek.  
  
She got off the couch and ran into her bedroom, hurling her self on the bed and burying her face into her pillow, sobbing gently. In the background she heard the sound of rain hitting her window, and soon after, a clap of thunder. She curled up, crying softly still," Why can't I get a decent deal when I sell one of my pictures?" she inhaled deeply," Maybe I'm not a good artist after all, maybe..."  
  
Suddenly she sat up, wiping her eyes," No, I can do this, I just need to get a better distributor."  
  
She grabbed her sketch book and flipped through, getting to a blank page, and stopped short before she got to it, staring at the picture.  
  
"What am I saying? You never believed in me! Why should I even try?!" she threw the book and curled back up, hiding under her covers.  
  
The book landed with a thump, the page she was looking at flipped wide open, revealing the picture on it.  
  
A slender young teenager girl with her foot standing triumphantly on a pack of beaten thugs in an alleyway, a smug look on her face. Her clothing all coordinated green, complimenting her jet black short cut hair. Beneath it a single title for the work:  
  
Buttercup.  
  
  
  
She screamed, swinging her arms, smashing a nearby wall and knocking bricks from it to the wet alleyway. She sat up, glancing around the area and standing straight up, her cape flowing as she did.  
  
"More nightmares." she said softly, her raspy voice ever-present, her eyes glowing green, squinting in anger," Still, I can't make anything from them."  
  
She looked around again, making sure she was alone.  
  
"Why can't they tell me who I am!?" she kicked a nearby dumpster, sending it into the wall, knocking a hole through it and lodging the dumpster into the bricks.  
  
"Always the temper.", a low voice said, causing her to glance to it's source. She saw a pair of red eyes materialize from the darkness of the end of the alley and move closer to her." That's why we picked you."  
  
"Who's there?!" she screamed, turning to the eyes.  
  
"Most call me asshole," the eyes said, moving out o the shadows, revealing a gray animal of sorts, nothing new to her, talking dog and many other animals had taken up a new level of awareness in Townsville. "You call me Christoph."  
  
"A porcupine?" she asked, half amused.  
  
"I'm not a porcupine! I'm a Hedgehog!" he growled, throwing a fit." Now if I wear blue I bet you'd know what I was! Noooo! You turn gray and suddenly you're an overgrown road spike."  
  
"What do you want?" she asked, making a defensive stance.  
  
"I'm glad you asked that because it's not what I want, it's what you're going to do.", the hedgehog Christoph said with a grin, his quills glimmering with the weak lighting of the alley, a short trim `haircut' of sorts.  
  
"Get lost." She scoffed turning and walking off to the entrance.  
  
"Ah, I wouldn't do that." Christoph said, shaking a finger" HE wouldn't like that."  
  
"Who?" she asked half serious, making her way to the end of the alley.  
  
"You know," Christoph smiled," HIM."  
  
She stopped in her tracks. Why did she know that name?  
  
"You remember HIM don't you?" Christoph grinned.  
  
"Who're you?", She turned and looked confused, her eyes the only thing revealed to the naked eye.  
  
"I'm a messenger." He walked towards her, grabbing her face and gripping it with his entire hand before she could even move. "Here's the Message, but first, a little back story!"  
  
He threw her into the wall, smashing bricks and plaster loose. "You are what is commonly referred to as a MANGE" He pulled something from his jacket, a handle of sorts."  
  
"MANGE?" she grunted pulling herself from the rubble with a growl, "Even if you are telling the truth, you're going to pay for that!"  
  
"Give it your best shot!" he growled back, pressing a button on the side of the handle and a chain slide out of it, hanging loosely.  
  
"You're gunna have to do better then that!" she leapt at him, hands with razor tips poised for a kill.  
  
"Patience." He smiled and side stepped her with another burst of speed." All good things come to those who are patient." He whipped the chain and it snapped tight in midair, changing into a glistening blade, seconds before slicing into her side.  
  
She howled in pain, falling to her knees, grabbing her side with her hands.  
  
"Course I wouldn't really call that a good thing." He grinned.  
  
"Damn you!" she panted, green ooze seeping from her wound through he gloved fingers.  
  
"Now pay attention, here's that backstory!" he grabbed her face again.  
  
She felt a shock run through her and her thoughts scrambled, nothing making sense. Soon they came into perspective and she saw a place she'd only seen parts of in her nightmares.  
  
The sounds of torment and anguish filled her thoughts, she glanced around to her surroundings, she saw nothing but fire, brimstone, horrible things, people strapped to walls, screaming in horror as small creatures with red hot objects prodded there bodies.  
  
"What...is this place?" she asked aloud, turning to more horror  
  
"This is home." Christoph's voice said, making her glance to her right, where she saw him again, standing on a floating piece of land, similar to that surrounding her." This is HELL!"  
  
The words echoed in her mind, and her shattered memory become more and more clear.  
  
She looked forward and saw herself, only, she was younger. She saw as she fell before the mighty claws of a pack of monsters produced by a pure evil. An evil known as HIM.  
  
"I..."she stuttered," I died."  
  
"At last, she remembers!" Christoph grinned, grabbing her by the head and smashing her face into a nearby wall. "But that's not the best part, WATCH!"  
  
She pulled her head up, and watched as her body was shredded and a ghostly outline of herself floated to the heavens. Before reaching anywhere near orbit, it was snatched from the sky and thrown into the ground, smashing through the earth and dirt until she crashed through the cave they were in.  
  
Her younger self got up and brushed herself off, attempting to fly upward and falling on her face.  
  
Laughter filled the cave," Foolish little girl, your powers are gone!", a red figure in the shadows said, waving a claw." Now listen carefully, I have a deal for you before you enter my home known as HELL."  
  
"No way!" her younger self said.  
  
"Oh please...RECONSIDER!" the voice shouted, sending electricity into her body from a wave of his claw." Remember with mortal bodies come mortal pain...and pain never ends here!"  
  
She screamed and doubled over, panting and holding her side.  
  
"This is the bargain: Become my MANGE and you get to go back to the mortal realm!"  
  
She growled in pain and anguish, fighting from the answer she knew she wanted to say.  
  
"Do we have a Deal?" the figure stepped out of the shadows, turning up the juice to the shock therapy, revealing the figure of a red creature, who, actually looked rather feminine, but with a largely masculine voice.  
  
"YES!" she shouted, writhing in pain, teeth chattering," Yes I'll be your MANGE! LET ME BACK TO THE SURFACE! ANYTHING TO GET AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!"  
  
"Good." the figure cackled and she vanished.  
  
The images shattered like glass and she was back in the alley, panting before a puddle of water, or what she hoped was water.  
  
She gazed before her eyes and pulled the cloth covering her face again, revealing an average mouth, but no jawbone; just a huge gapping hole.  
  
"How is this possible?" Christoph asked for her." It's Hell Technology, what can I say?"  
  
"No!" she covered her face, writhing backwards and staring at Christoph. "You tricked me!"  
  
"Of Course we did." Christoph smiled, sheathing his sword and walking down the alley into the darkened end. "We're evil, it's what we do."  
  
"Where are you going?" she stumbled to her feet." You had a message."  
  
"I don't have to relay it right now, think I'll let you stew a little, let you think about how you've sold your soul and got screwed."  
  
"WAIT!" She stumbled to pursue him" At least tell me who I am"  
  
"You're a Mange, I told you." He smiled, knowing what she really wanted to know.  
  
"No! Wait!" she fell from the pain.  
  
"Oh that!" he turned and his eyes were only visible in the darkness." I suppose even you deserve a break sometime, right...Buttercup?"  
  
He faded from the mortal plain with a echoing laughter as the rain started to fall on her.  
  
She stood there, shocked and bleeding, her eyes a pale green, saddened.  
  
She turned to attempt to leave the alley, but made only another step before she lost consciousness, slamming into another dumpster, her thoughts a whirlwind of all she'd been exposed to in the last 15 minutes.  
  
"No..." she sighed out, before passing out completely, the storm pouring rain on her and lighting filling the sky. Above her a pair of eyes watched upon her from the rooftops.  
  
"It has Begun." A female voice said.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED AFTER FEEDBACK  
  



	4. Mange: Chapter 3

Mange  
  
(Chapter 3)  
  
By  
  
Mastermind (mind@eot.com)  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
Spawn and Related Indicia are copyright by Todd McFarlene and his army of Lawyers, I'm simply paying homage to him.  
  
Batman Beyond and all related indicia are copyright of Time Warner and the WB, I simply like the way they got Kenny Wayne Shepherd to play the intro to their only feature film (so far) and that's why I refer to it in the intro.  
  
Christoph © 1997-2002 Mastermind.  
  
PowerPuff Girls and Related Indicia are copyright of Cartoon Network and Craig McCraken I simply think they have more potential then they are using now.  
  
Some might remember this character from the episode "Super Zeroes", I've taken the idea and elaborated on it, please enjoy.  
  
  
  
A slender armor-clad dark figure walked into a nearby warehouse, of which downtown always seemed to have an abundance of, and closed the door behind him, locking it.  
  
About 20 some odd looking men and women and furries stood before him as he turned around, a single male figure in the back of the room, dressed in a large gallant robe.  
  
"Did you get it?", one of the furries asked, edging forward to the figure.  
  
"You did get it right, Cyber?", a women asked, emerging from he darkness.  
  
"Please, everyone let Cybermorph forward." The figure in the back spoke finally, and the crowd parted as the figure walked through the path, holding a item in a death grip. He held a large red book with the same symbol the figure bore on his chest plate.  
  
"He did get it!", a man screamed, being hushed and swatted at by the crowd.  
  
"Present the Book of the Damned before me, oh noble and honorable Cybermorph, may HE bless you with all you see fit." the figure in robes spoke again, his robe bearing symbols as same as the book.  
  
"It was a cakewalk." The figure spoke, obviously the aforementioned 'Cybermorph'."No trouble at all, they won't even realize it's gone until later this morning.  
  
"Excellent, you have done well, now, let it begin!" the robed one announced, the group gathering in a form of a pentagram around him slowly.  
  
"May the power of HIM return to this plan, may his will take shape and his powers flow free and full on our mortal plan, forever and ever, amen." The crowd chanted as Cybermorph walked from the crowd  
  
"The ceremony will begin soon, please, stay and watch, Cybermorph." The robed elder said.  
  
"Yeah, you have your ceremony; I'm getting my money when it's allll over." He said under his breath, walking into another room and shutting the door.  
  
The feeling of remorse came over him, perhaps he shouldn't have done what he had done. Being a Mercenary was like that, sometimes you felt bad about what you did, and sometimes even worse.  
  
He slipped his helmet off, and sat down on the shabby bed, taking a much deserved load off for a few minutes. Damn book won't even work, probably. He laughed softly, 'Damned' book. There was a part of him that couldn't stop nagging on him that he perhaps had just sold out the human race to a buncha' devil worshipers to further his own pocket book.  
  
  
  
Blossom sat at her desk, typing her report on the recent alleyway murders, and paused, looking around for a moment she pulled out the fabric she had found at the recent scene and compared it to the piece she had found at the bank.  
  
They matched.  
  
"Shit." She sighed, putting the pieces into her pocket, she pulled out one of the larger desk drawers and pulled out a red purse and set it on the table. Rifling through it she pulled out a small address book and opened it up, flipping through the pages, she quickly found who she was looking for.  
  
Picking up the phone, she closed her eyes and sighed. "It has been about 5 years.", she thought to herself, before dialing the number she had located.  
  
It rang once.  
  
Twice.  
  
Three times.  
  
"A lady..." she hummed softly, waiting for a response.  
  
It picked up!  
  
It was the machine.  
  
"Um, hi, Bubbles, it's me, Blossom, I hope this is the right number otherwise whoever you are you're gunna be very confused, but um, if that is you Bubbles, give me a call, my pager numbers is 800-23…"  
  
The receiver picked up.  
  
"Hi!" a perky voice on the other end yelled, causing Blossom to pull the phone from her ear slightly.  
  
"Hi, how are you?" she said casually, lighting up a cigarette. "Really? I've been good, huh? No, we broke up. You? I see. Say the reason I'm calling is, I was just wondering if you wanta go get coffee of something, I've got some things I need to talk to you about. No, I really can't say over the phone."  
  
She inhaled and blew a heart shaped smoke puff, and looked at her watch.  
  
"Actually, no time like the present, I'm just getting off. Maybe, say CoffeBucks in about, oh, an hour? Great. See you there."  
  
She hung up the phone and gather her stuff and finishing the last of her cigarette, one final gulp of stale coffee and she was out her office door, hitting the light on the way.  
  
  
  
Christoph walked along the crumbling pathways of Hell, obviously not built for a mass transit system, he had to leap a few times to avoid falling into the pits.  
  
Finding his way to a large structure in the middle of the flaming landscape, he walked through a pair of doors, that were guarded by two rather unhappy looking sentry gaurds, their wings fluttering to attention as he passed by.  
  
A larger orc-ish creature stood in Chris' path as he walked up a set of stairs, "Business you have?"  
  
"Business I do, and even better, I have grammar." Chris snarled, pushing him aside.  
  
The creature roared and grabbed Christoph, attempting to cleave his head off with the large flaming axe he held in one hand. Christoph quickly wrestled free and landed, pulling and snapping his sword into place, he sliced the head off the axe and sent it hurling into the flame pits below.  
  
"Let Him Pass." A voice boomed, a feminine voice at that. "He Has Business."  
  
Christoph smiled and pushed the large creature out of his way, walking up the stairs.  
  
Screams of torment and anguish filled his ears, growing louder as he grew closer. He holstered his sword and closed his jacket, pushing open the doors at the top; he walked through and looked around.  
  
The interior of the castle he had just entered, was similar to that of an Arabic interior, carpets on the floor and hanging from the walls. The only apparent difference was the overabundance of red and the harem girls slaughtering people regular in front of the main throne, blood flowing like water down the tiled flooring.  
  
"Enter, Christoph." A figure sitting on a throne spoke towards him, his face in shadow." Status Report."  
  
"Well, I told her what you told me to. "Chris leaned on a nearby pillar.  
  
"And?" the voice asked, getting rather impatient.  
  
"She didn't like what she heard."  
  
"Excellent." The figure moved forward, revealing HIS demonic like head. HIS image fashioned after centuries of looking at the human races idea of what he should be, the devil, Satan, Lucifer. HE took all these into account when first took solid form.  
  
"Now that she knows the 'truth', she'll be even more inclined to completely switch her ethics!" HE said, leaping form his throne and landing next to Christoph.  
  
"Ergo allowing you to take over the world, blah blah blah." Chris sighed, rolling his eyes " I've seen this same plot so many times it's—"  
  
"Silence!" HE snarled, clutching Chris' throat in his claws." I would HATE to loose such an up and coming warrior due to DISMEMBERMENT!" HE threw him against a wall, leaving an indent of his body in it.  
  
"Since you asked so nicely." Chris said, coughing and getting up, brushing his clothing off.  
  
"I warn you CHRIS, You have many qualities that I could use, but DON'T push you LUCK!" HE snarled, his eyes glowing red as his voice altered between the usual high pitched to the seldom used deeper pitch.  
  
"I'll be sure to watch my step. Besides, what would you do?" Chris smiled, walking towards HIM.," Send me to Hell? "  
  
"There are far worse levels in this place then you would ever want to know about, Chris." HIM walked over and stared him straight in the eye. "PRAY you don't even find out about them."  
  
Walking off, HIM left a fire trail behind him as he sat in his throne." Now, since you delivered the needed message to her, I need you to take care of a few other problems for me"  
  
"Just a quick question, if you ARE the source of all evil, why do you need people like me?" Chris smiled.  
  
"FOCUS!" HIM roared, knocking Chris down with a energy wave.  
  
"Okay, Okay, what do you need?" Chris stood up, brushing his clothing off again.  
  
"It seems that the other side has taken an interest in my girl, they are planning on sending hunters; ELIMINATE any and ALL that stand in your way."  
  
"Gee, I thought it was gunna be hard, why not ask me to take down the pearly gates themselves, you know Hunters are more then a one person job." Chris walked towards the throne.  
  
"If you prove yourself, you may inherit more power, and that's what you want, don't kid yourself, I know you better then you know YOURSELF" Him smiled.  
  
"Can't we just like, have me destroy a village or something fun? I mean, boss, Hunters aren't anything to play with, I COULD die." Chris continued, a tad worried.  
  
"No more DISCUSSION!" Him roared, the castle walls crumbling a bit under his anger. "I made you, and I CAN BREAK YOU." Him walked down towards Chris, who began to back up. "AND I WILL IF YOU DON'T DO this small task for me." HE smiled, putting his claws on Chris' shoulders,  
  
"Uh.." Chris stammered.  
  
"Remember, Chris." HE began to rub his shoulders, quoting an unnamed movie phrase. "You…Are My Number One…..Guy!"  
  
HIM laughed loudly and vanished, appearing at the throne again. "Now be gone!"  
  
Chris growled and walked off, trying to remember where that movie quote came from. He walked out the doors as they closed, HIM's laughter continue to echo in the main halls.  
  
  
  
She came to, her vision blurred, he body hurting, with a moan.  
  
"Dammit." She cursed, sliding up to a wall and helping herself to her feet. "What the hell is going on…crazy shit..."  
  
She looked down at her side, the slice wasn't as big as before, but still her blood, or what she hoped was her blood, was seeping out, a green glowing ooze covering her outfit.  
  
"Great, I'm bleeding snot." She grunted, limping towards the end of the alley, making it to the street.  
  
"Ok..your a hideous spawn of hell. Now what?" she thought to herself. "No. I'm Buttercup."  
  
She slumped against the brick wall, just short of street, out of sight from any passersby. "I need to get healed is what I need to do, but where can I find a hospital that takes stray Hell spawns.." she sighed."…at this time of night." She grunted, her sarcasm seemed to be more dominant, for what reason she did not know. Looking down, she noticed that her wound wasn't oozing anymore, removing her hands, she was surprised even more that her wound sealed up right before her eyes.  
  
"Whoa." She stared, wide-eyed. "Not bad."  
  
Standing up straight, she moved her cape about, covering more of her up from prying eyes.  
  
"I gotta focus, I need to do what I came here for." She thought sitting and watching a few cars drive by. "Assuming that pincushion isn't just full of it. I came back for.."  
  
She thought for a while, trying to remember her own memories, not the ones shown to her. She had visions of snarling beasts, as they ripped a poor girl in green to shreds.  
  
"That's it. I came back to kick some ass. And By God that's what. I'll do.." she said finally, standing up straight and looking upward. She saw a taller structure nearby, with a tower on it. Perfect place to lay low as the sun came up, after all, it would be easier to move about when it's dark.  
  
A 'condemned' sign hung from the doorways. "Even Better.", she smiled.  
  
Focusing on it, she found herself flying through the air towards it, following the path of two chains that seemed to materialize from inside her cape, landing on the edge and lying low again, waiting to move making sure no one had seen here.  
  
"Excellent. Not exactly a Bat cave, but hey, even new heroes start out small." She whispered to herself, dropping into the lower levels of the tower.  
  
Looking around she saw overturned benches, along with an alter or sorts, more then likely an old church. Flinging a few aside, she made an area for her to call a bed, flinging a few curtains up to the exposed windows, she sealed herself in her new home.  
  
Noticing a small glimmer in the corner of her eye, she moved broken chairs and planks out of the way and found a older television set, and pulled it out of the rubble. Pulling an old table from the ashes of an old fire, she placed the TV on it and plugged it in.  
  
"No Power." She grunted, "Have to see about that, later."  
  
She settled down, finding few more curtains and a suitable padding, she sat down, sighing deeply, and attempted to take off her cape, finding it more then well attached, she gave up and laid back, closing her eyes, she heard the quietness of silence fill hear ears as she slipped into a slumber.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED AFTER FEEDBACK  
  



	5. Mange: Chapter 4

Mange  
  
(Chapter 4)  
  
By  
  
Mastermind (mind@eot.com)  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
Spawn and Related Indicia are copyright by Todd McFarlene and his army of Lawyers, I'm simply paying homage to him.  
  
Batman Beyond and all related indicia are copyright of Time Warner and the WB, I simply like the way they got Kenny Wayne Shepherd to play the intro to their only feature film (so far) and that's why I refer to it in the intro.  
  
Christoph © 1997-2002 Mastermind.  
  
Powerpuff Girls and Related Indicia are copyright of Cartoon Network and Craig McCraken I simply think they have more potential then they are using now.  
  
  
  
Morning was just coming about, but you could barely tell, as a storm front had moved in. Blossom sat, sipping a large cup of coffee, staring out the window of her booth in the CoffeeBucks Bar. She hoped that Bubbles would show up soon, she was about ten minutes late. The gentle sound of rain splashing against the plate glass window soothed Blossom a small bit, even though her thoughts were focused on the recent fabrics that had been popping up recently.  
  
She saw a figure running in from the rain, shaking off an umbrella; she saw it was a blonde girl about her mid twenties, her hair in pigtails on her side. She smiled.  
  
"Bubbles." She said softly to herself, noticing the girl turning and walking over.  
  
"Hi!" Bubbles exclaimed, happy as a lark to see her sister, Blossom. "How have you been?"  
  
"Oh not too bad, you're a little late." She smiled, "Please, sit."  
  
"I'm sorry; I had to do something on the way over here, small message I had to deliver." Bubbles continued, sitting and ordering a coffee herself" ...So, what's with the sudden reunion idea?"  
  
"It's complicated." Blossom sighed, popping a cigarette into her mouth and lighting it.  
  
"I've got tons of time, uh, you still smoke?" Bubbles asked kind of half heartedly.  
  
"Nasty habit, don't ever pick it up." Blossom nodded, "Does it bother you?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"Great, um, I asked you here to talk to you about, well, mainly the past." Blossom sipped her coffee, waiting for a response.  
  
"Oh-Kay!" Bubbles said in a perky tone, "Like what?"  
  
`Well, first off, do you still have your costumes from when we were 15?" she asked, blowing smoke to the window, letting the vents suck it up. "If you do, I kind of need a favor from you."  
  
"Of course." Bubbles nodded, surprised by her words. "What do you need?"  
  
"I need it, for a while, just need to check something out."  
  
"Oh? Why mine?"  
  
"Mine was, sold, I was having hard times a while back, and needed some rent money before I was kicked out." Blossom admitted, bowing her head. "It's in the museum now."  
  
"`Kay, um, why do you need it?"  
  
"I need to run a few tests on it, just something I've doing for a case." Blossom said, trying not to let much out.  
  
"Oh, um, what?" Bubbles asked, curious.  
  
"I can't really say, I'm sorry." Blossom crushed her cigarette out." But I'll get it back to you as soon as I can."  
  
"Oh no rush, come on, I'll get it for you, it's back at the apartment." Bubbles said, knocking back her coffee in one swallow, astounding Blossom.  
  
"Right, I'll go get the car." She stood and walked out, leaving Bubbles to herself.  
  
Bubbles swallowed hard. A look of uneasiness came over her face, she hid it so only she could see however. What could she need that for? Why would she need it now?  
  
The bell rang as Blossom exited.  
  
"Oh boy." Bubbles sighed softly, getting up and walking to the door to wait for Blossom.  
  
  
  
A slender figure walked along the hallways of the Halo Building, her red dress gliding along the floor, her heels clicking on the marble floor, images of archangels and clouds covering them.  
  
A silver clothed woman appeared in the light of the many picture windows on the floor she was on, the sunlight reflecting off of a necklace she was wearing, a golden cross, along with a golden ring that was obvious not part of it originally, could be made out by all passersby.  
  
Not that there were many, the hallway seemed deserted as she walked through a pair of large majestic doors, and into a reception area of sorts, a female intern sat at the desk, typing on a computer. She looked up and turned towards her.  
  
"Is she in?" the female asked, not even bothering to stop, proceeding to the other side of the room.  
  
"Spice, you can't just--" the intern got up, trying to stop her, being met by a surprising push towards the wall.  
  
"Never mind, I'll see her for myself." Spice pushed open the doors, walking into a larger office, another figure sitting at a desk, looked up.  
  
"How dare you!" the female behind the desk stood up, reaching to her side.  
  
"That won't be necessary, I won't take long." Spice smiled, "Besides, if I came with the intention of ill will, you wouldn't have had time to reach for that."  
  
"What's the meaning of this?!" the lady asked, remaining standing.  
  
"The Mange." Spice said seductively.  
  
The intern walked in as well, attempting to get security on her headset uplink." Miss Halo, shall I call and have her removed?"  
  
"No, Marcy, that won't be necessary, please, leave us." Halo motioned, the intern quickly turned and walked out, closing the doors.  
  
"The Mange, Halo, I want her. I saw her. " Spice said, walking closer.  
  
"I see, out on your own again?" Halo sat down, pressing a button on her desk, the doors locked together, the lock forming a Halo symbol. "You know that won't look good on your next review."  
  
"I do one thing good, and that's hunt down demons."  
  
"Yes, and do that well you do. However, in order to get the weaponry and the license to take down this cycles Mange; you need to follow chain of command." Halo smiled, sitting back.  
  
"Fine, I've done that, I'm here, asking you. License and Clearance to hunt this Mange?" Spice said, smashing her fist on the desk, leaving an imprint.  
  
"Denied." Halo almost smiled.  
  
"What's your problem!?"  
  
"I don't appear to have one. You're always so quick to act before thinking. Follow appropriate protocol and maybe I'll reconsider." Halo turned, looking out on the cityscape of Townsville. "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out." The doors halo symbol opened behind her.  
  
"Dammit!" Spice punched at a wall, turning, she exited, the doors automatically locking behind here.  
  
Halo stared across the skyway, thinking deeply at her actions moments before, wondering how she would have taken the news that SHE wasn't getting the permit. She was reminded so much of herself in the fresh new warrior.  
  
"Lisa?" She pressed a switch on her chair, speaking into her earpiece.  
  
"Yes Ma'am?"  
  
"Issue a Permit of Special Target Hunting, Prioty Processing."  
  
"Tag Holder?"  
  
"Agent Spice."  
  
  
  
She snapped open her green eyes, sitting up quickly and glancing around. No sign of intruders, just the sound of water leaking. Looking outside, she noticed that is was dusk, and she sighed softly.  
  
"Now, to find more answers.", she said softly, standing, her cape flowing onto the floor as she did.  
  
She stood and stretched slowly, then moved down the center aisle, walking out what she assumed was once a doorway, glancing around the streets, making sure the coast was clear. Forcing what rubble was blocking her way, she stepped onto the street, holding her head, as the feelings of memories flowing back to her hit her at the most unneeded time.  
  
Images of a playground, children laughing, three little girls playing tag, one of them having a few of the kids sit in a circle.  
  
"Hey, let's play duck duck goose!" a perky voice in her head said.  
  
Soon after, the one who spoke had started tapping kids on the head, and then when she got to one in blue, she yelled `Goose', and she FLEW off, leaving a pink stream behind her.  
  
Then the blue one took off flying after her, eventually smashing into the pink girl like a bullet, turning up the ground as they landed together.  
  
The memory ended, and the stumbled, bracing herself on the doorway, holding her head.  
  
"What's happening to me?" she growled, clawing the stone archway, punching the outer wall, cracking it "Dammit what's happening to me! Gotta pull myself together, find out more..."  
  
She walked along the streets, being weary of who saw her, hopefully no one, and stopped right before a large city bus map. Stopping to study, she smiled, and glanced around occasionally to make sure she was undetected, which was easy in this part of town it seemed.  
  
"Find out more about this..." she tapped a position on the map, and marked it unintentionally with her clawed fingers. "Buttercup."  
  
Walking away, her presence left the map, letting the street light shine on the place she had marked, a small set of punctures remained on the glass over a building marked: PUBLIC LIBRARY  
  
  
  
Bubbles stared out the window of Blossom's car, the rain beading off the windows as lightening flashed. She thought about how well Blossom had done in her life, the car she owned, the job she had, everything was going great for her. She couldn't possibly show her the small apartment she had barely been able to afford.  
  
"I hope you don't mind the apartment, uh, I don't have many visitors..."Bubbles spoke finally, not turning to Blossom. "At this one anyway.." she added on, trying to be semi impressive.  
  
" Oh? You must be doing better in the art world then I thought. " She smiled, turning onto another street. "This one here?"  
  
"Yeah, that one." Bubbles nodded, pointing to a low income apartment building.  
  
The car stopped, and Blossom got out, along with Bubbles, both of them running from the unpleasant weather to the safety of the holding area of the apartment complex. Fumbling with some keys, Bubbles unlocked the front door to reveal a long hallway, leading to a set of stairs, a few dying tacky looking plants were all that were present, laughably called `décor' by the landlord.  
  
Motioning slightly, Bubbles moved cautiously, followed by Blossom, who inadvertently pushed over a broom and dustpan that lay near the entrance as she closed the door, crashing them to the floor.  
  
"What's going on out there!" a voice boomed from a door marked `LandLord', the only door on that level, followed by footsteps.  
  
Bubbles gasped and turned to Blossom, and she picked up pace, trying to reach the stairs before whoever it was got to their door.  
  
The door cracked open, and then opened all the way, and a short stubby little man with but 5 hairs sticking straight up on his head and a pointy nose, stepped out.  
  
"Bubbles, you're 2 months late on your rent." The man spoke, unhappy to say the least.  
  
"Yeah, it's in the mail, Snivley!" Bubbles said, pushing open the door and pulling Blossom into the stairway.  
  
"Sure it is! " Snivley yelled and clenched his fists together, grumbling. "Wrestling money from bums...I closed the 2^nd season of ABC's best show, and now look at me, nothing."  
  
"Snivley!" a voice yelled from inside.  
  
"Coming, Uncle."  
  
Bubbles and Blossom walked up the stairs, hearing various sounds of living throughout the halls, fighting, babies crying, mainly fighting though.  
  
"Who's that Guy?" Blossom asked. "And what's he gripping about?"  
  
"Oh, that's the landlord, Snivley, a washed up actor, he just likes to go off like that, he's got his money, it's not like I'm broke." Bubbles defending herself poorly, fumbling with more keys as they came to her door.  
  
"Hey, the old Powerpuff Team Stickers, you still got them?" Blossom pointed at one of the markings on her door." I haven't seen one of those in years, since we..."  
  
"Yeah.." Bubbles and Blossom both looked at each other for a moment, then Bubbles opened the door." Come on in!"  
  
Blossom walked in, following Bubbles, who shut the door behind her. It was a quaint little three room apartment; a main living room that led to the kitchen which also lead to what was obviously the bedroom. Moderate furniture, a nice little apartment, it was a shy bit less then her own, Blossom thought.  
  
"Can I get you anything? Water? Mountain-X?" Bubbles dug through the fridge, pushing and cluttering things about, poking her head out again.  
  
"Yeah maybe some coffee." Blossom smiled, then jerked her head to her side, pulling out a pager from her side holster, she checked the number on it." On second thought maybe next time, it's the `office', I hate to look and run, Bubbles."  
  
"No Problem!" Bubbles nearly yelled, running to her room and digging through some various things, making sure to close the door behind her. "  
  
Blossom blinked, amazed on how quickly Bubbled zoomed passed her.  
  
"Found it!" Bubbled emerged from the back room she had been in, a small blue dress with a black stripe across the center of it in her hand. "Here you go, you can give it back whenever. "she smiled.  
  
"Thanks, I owe you; I'll give you a call, ok?" Blossom smiled, turning to the door.  
  
"Okay, see ya." Bubbles nodded, watching her leave. " Lemme know how things turn out, and don' be such a stranger!" She waved.  
  
As Blossom left and closed the door behind her, she couldn't help but feel a little paranoid about how happy Bubbles was to get rid of her. In fact, she could swear as she left, she could hear the door lock, and a sigh.  
  
  
  
CyberMorph walked out in full armor, the only thing visible his eyes, into the main hall where all the worshipers were praying and chanting while the main priest recited words from the Book of the Damned. He had seen a lot of things during his time as a mercenary, but this had to take the cake. These people were so bent on the fact that they could better the world by bring back HIM, they were willing to throw away what social life they would have if they didn't even do this.  
  
"Let HE who once walked on this plain, WALK AGAIN!" the priest chanted, the fellowship chanting softly the safe thing. "Let the forces of the underworld, of Hell it's self run free! Free so that they might free us from the oppression of this damned society, let HIS will and HIS way be the only way!"  
  
The ground rumbled a bit, taking CyberMorph by surprise." Whoa." he grabbed hold of a nearby pillar, his suit scanning the element the pillar was made of and activated his suits chameleon mode, blending perfectly with the material.  
  
"HIM! Let HIM come forth, speak to us oh mighty Master, let us hear your words of wisdom!" the priest continued, a cauldron of flames growing fiercer and brighter as he chanted.  
  
The cauldron exploded, and fire and flames shot upward, forming a pillar of heat before them all, generating cheers from the crowd, and a wide eyed expression on Cyber's face.  
  
"WHO IS IT THAT DARE SUMMON ME!" a booming voice roared, emanating from the flames.  
  
"I, a humble servant and leader of this group of followers, oh mighty one." The priest bowed, speaking softly. " We wish to know how we can best serve you, master."  
  
"YOU CAN START...by leaving me alone." HIM's face appeared from the flames, an unhappy face at that. " I'm Busy, DON'T Bother me. " HIM's voice altered from his male to female versions several times. "But if YOU WANT TO MAKE yourself useful...."  
  
"Ok..I'm a believer." Cyber said, softly, looking around and waiting for a good time to step in and say his piece.  
  
"THAT IS THE COMMAND!" HIM bellowed, vanishing.  
  
"It shall be done!" The priest yelled bowing, the followers bowing and staying down as well. "You heard the master, use all our sources to find the one he seeks."  
  
The followers began to depart, scattering to the four doors of the warehouse, leaving as quickly as they had come. CyberMorph stepped from the shadows,  
  
"Hate to interrupt, but I'm supposed to get paid." He grunted, crossing his arms as his suit completely faded back into visibility.  
  
"Indeed, you saw us?" the priest asked, pulling out an envelope. "There's more where that came from, we could use one like you."  
  
"Sorry." Cyber examined the money, counting it all quickly. "I've got another client on standby as we speak. Look me up before the end of the world, eh?" he joked, walking off, his boot clicking on the cement of the warehouse. Exiting and closing the door, he stopped and looked around, and looked back, sighing deeply.  
  
"I've got a bad feeling about all this." He said finally.  
  
  
  
HE sat on his throne, clicking his claws together, smiling in bliss. Various slave women at his side, the fires of Hell burning around him, and the sounds of lost souls in torment filling his ears, he smiled even wider.  
  
"Fifteen years ago, those blasted girls stopped me from my conquest of the planet, even the combined might of those bumbling idiots that called them self villains, they stopped me." He growled, grabbing a slave girl and running his claw through her hair. "Exhiled back into this place, but, all was not lost."  
  
"Oh, tell us why, Master." The girl said softly, looking into his eyes.  
  
"Because, dear, their so called victory over me WAS THE BEGINNING OF THEIR DOWNFALL!" he growled, tightening his claw over her neck and squeezing softly.  
  
"Master, I.." she choked.  
  
"BECAUSE EVEN IF THAT BUTTERCUP...doesn't pull through, I still have a few tricks left up my sleeve."  
  
"Tell us, please...M-Master.." she hacked, going wide-eyed.  
  
"The stage is almost set, and soon..." he snapped his claw closed, severing her head, and letting it roll down into one of the fire pits for the orcs to play with. "THE WORLD WILL BE MINE..and not even THOSE POWERPUFF GIRLS CAN STOP ME!" HIM finished, slicing off a few more heads and laughing manically as the flames of hell churned higher and higher.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED AFTER FEEDBACK  
  



	6. Mange: Chapter 5

Mange  
  
(Chapter 5)  
  
By  
  
Mastermind (mind@eot.com)  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
Spawn and Related Indicia are copyright by Todd McFarlene and his army of Lawyers, I'm simply paying homage to him.  
  
Batman Beyond and all related indicia are copyright of Time Warner and the WB, I simply like the way they got Kenny Wayne Shepherd to play the intro to their only feature film (so far) and that's why I refer to it in the intro.  
  
Christoph © 1997-2002 Mastermind.  
  
Powerpuff Girls and Related Indicia are copyright of Cartoon Network and Craig McCraken I simply think they have more potential then they are using now.  
  
  
  
She crept along the rooftops, being sure not to be detected, and stood before the rooftop glass window, looking down into the library.  
  
Fumbling with the lock on the latch of the window, she finally got frustrated and punched it, shattering it to her surprise. She opened the hatch and looked in, making sure the coast was clear, she then dropped down, landing on the cold marble floor, the pattern resembling checkers. Looking up, she realized she may have to find a ladder when she wanted to get out.  
  
She looked around and soon located a area marked "NEWS ARCHIEVE", and walked over towards the area, locating a computer she pushed the chair aside, not bothering to sit down. Typing a few things in with her pointy fingers, she sifted through the electronic files, locating anything on `Buttercup' or any huge war that may have happened recently.  
  
"Nothing" she said in her raspy voice." Maybe if I dig further back.."  
  
Checking back 5 years she found nothing and nothing even 10 years back. Eventually a few files came up in 14 years back, and finally a whole flood of articles came to her eyes as she searched 15 years into the past. She found herself reading the headlines to herself.  
  
"Townsville Police over Powered....Powerpuff Girls unable to stop most villains recently...Military coming in." she scanned through various clippings. "Unable to repeal invasion...." Her eyes squinted as another came up. "Who is HIM? Professor Accused of Fraud...Mayor Dead at 86!"  
  
She stepped back, shock running through her. So many things had happened in such a short time according to the clippings, but if it was as horrid as it seemed in the photos, how did they solve it? Looking back she found even worse articles.  
  
"Girls Mass a large attack, reclaim Fuzzy's stronghold of lower Townsville, Many causalities. Gangrene Gang repealed from downtown. "she continued, each week the paper showed new headlines of the girls pushing the villains back. "Princess declares herself owner of a chunk of Townsville, PPG unable to do anything. HIM's Grip tightening. Mojo Slain in Bitter Arch Rival Battle, HIM begins to loose control of upper west and east side."  
  
" What happened to us...?" she asked softly, scrapping past more headlines. "Girls Epic Battle With HIM ends with BitterSweet Victory."  
  
That article caught her eye and she read the rest of the story behind it:  
  
"The world was shocked today to find out that beloved member of the powerpuff Girls, Buttercup, was slain during the horrific battle that ensued during the girl's final attempt to repeal HIM from the city and back to his domain. Buttercup was mortally wounded during a fight with the demon like creatures that have come to be known as Protectors in slang terms recently, Protectors for HIM. More on Page 1B"  
  
She stepped back, startled as she clicked the next button by accident, bringing up another headline "A Nation Remembers - Buttercup Utonium Funeral Largest In History"  
  
She hit the pillar behind her with her back, stopping her, her eyes wider then ever. She felt a sickening feeling overcome her. The horrible realization of what was true rushed over her. She had died. She had been weak and made a deal with HIM. She was His.  
  
"Hell No. I'm me. I belong to No One!" she growled, clawing the pillar leaving markings.  
  
"That's where you're wrong." A female voice said.  
  
Mange snapped around, looking to her right, a smooth skinned silver haired woman dressed in metal shielding and tight clothing stepped forward from the shadows, in her hands a large silver spear.  
  
"Typical, all Manges attempt to find out who they were." Spice smiled "Defend yourself, creature!" she lunged forward, landing the spearhead into Mange's leg.  
  
She growled and moved back, swinging her claw at her, which Spice easily dodged. Falling backwards she soon flipped up on her boots and landed, her cape flowing as always, surrounding her. "Who are you!  
  
"I'm the one they recruited to fry your dead ass." Spice said, assuming a battle stance "I'm the other side's Hunter. Killing Manges is my job...and I LOVE my job!"  
  
Mange raged forward, a set of razor tipped chains shooting from under her cape at the Hunter, which was easily dodged and deflected them. Surprised at her newfound abilities, she was caught off guard and was sliced up her side, bleeding green blood again and growling as she was pushed back by the blow.  
  
"Not a very smart one are you? You oughtta make this more fun for me, after all I'm sending you back to Home Sweet Hell!" Spice shouted, pole-vaulting on the spear and landing her feet into Mange's chest, pushing her into a set of bookcases. Raising her spear, she aimed for the neck of Mange, her blade shone in the low light. Suddenly a sound pierced the air, and the spear was knocked from her hands, clattering to the floor.  
  
"No one will be destroying the Mange, because it is I who will be destroying the Mange. Mange will only be destroyed by me, and furthermore, only I shall destroy the Mange!" a familiar voice hit Mange's ears.  
  
Mange turned to look as Spice did, and saw in the shadows a figure walking out, boots clicking on the floor and a purple cape flowing. The figure was female, and stood roughly the same height as Mange and Spice did, minus the Turban she was wearing. Her face was covered with a gas mask looking device, supplying something through the tube to the face from a tank on her back.  
  
"Only I, Mojo Jojo, shall be destroying this Mange, you are not to be destroying Mange because You are not Mojo Jojo, for I am Mojo Jojo and only it is that Mojo Jojo be destroying this Mange!" she spoke, her voice not matching her, a dominant female voice with an unknown accent instead of a female voice.  
  
"Who are you?!" Spice asked, pulling a small set of hand blades from her thigh plating. "And what is your business with this Mange?"  
  
Mange started healing, her wounds sealing and blood soaking back into her. Her chains rattled as she made a move, only to find Spice's blade at her throat.  
  
"I am the ultimate, the doer of things done evil. The one. The Only. Mojo Jojo!" she said, stepping forward and posing in a way Mange found familiar.  
  
"Impossible, Mojo Jojo is dead. He lost to the Powerpuffs in the Battle of Townsville."  
  
"Soon you will see that it is you who will be dying, for I will show you it is death for your, curtains, by Mojo Jojo!" she screamed, her voiced masked still.  
  
"We'll see about that!" Mange yelled, knocking the blade from Spice's hand to the floor.  
  
"That is of course if I don't kick both your fucking asses first!" Christoph dropped down, knocking the other blade from Spice's hand and picking it up and throwing it at the girl in the mask, knocking her gun down and causing it to smoke and sizzle.  
  
"Christoph!" Spice hissed, reaching towards her spear.  
  
"Spice, good to see you again." Christoph nodded, watching the girl in the mask, and then kicking the spear from Spice's reach. "You ok, babe?" he looked at Mange.  
  
"Mojo is not so easily defeated, observe!" the masked girl pulled out another gun and aimed, causing Spice to grab the spear, Mange to stand to her defensive position and Christoph to draw his sword. "You will all be defeated by I!"  
  
A Shot Rang Out. They all turned towards it.  
  
"No one's doing anything to anyone while I'm on duty - hands up!" Blossom yelled, aiming two guns in their direction, Sparky right behind her. "Not bad for a Library alarm."  
  
"You said it, Blossom." Sparky said, two guns on two of the others as well.  
  
"Now everyone get their hands up! " Blossom screamed, pulling handcuffs out., " We're all going downtown, and you can explain this all in the clink."  
  
"Mojo does not clink, nor does he go downtown." The female spoke in a way that made Blossom raise an eyebrow.  
  
"Mojo?" she tilted her head. "Impossible. And you, you're the one from the bank!"  
  
"Yeah I didn't buy it either. " Spice sneered, reaching slowly behind her back.  
  
"No moving!" Sparky shouted, firing in the air, causing Blossom to jump and then resulting in a chain reaction. Spice pulled out a set of orbs and threw them to the ground, filling the area with smoke, Chris sliced, hitting Spice as she escaped, Mojo simply ran off, and Mange backed into the shadows, running for the door.  
  
The smoke cleared, and Sparky shouted, looking for Blossom. Blossom leaned against a wall, coughing, swearing. The room was empty aside from them.  
  
" Dammit, call in CSI.." she pointed to the door, watching him leave she walked over to a pool of green ooze and knelt before it, collecting some in a small vile, she hid it in her jacket and walked over to the computer, determined to figure out what the hell was going on. Looking at the screen she studied the words, making sure not to touch the keys or desk, so not to leave prints of any kind that she tampered with the scene. She inhaled, things were starting to make sense, or in this case, not make sense, since her way of thinking let the obvious conclusion elude her. Walking over she examined the gun and blade, then she lifted her head she saw the claw marked on the wall, and walked over to them. "What the hell are you?" she asked softly, running her fingers over the air just above the pillar, not leaving marks.  
  
"CSI is on the way!" Sparky ran in, stopping before her. "What shall we do."  
  
"You wait for them; I gotta go check a lead on the Alleyway slaughter still, sound good?" Blossom asked, walking to the door.  
  
"Sure...' he nodded, sitting down  
  
"And Sparky, don't touch anything." Blossom added, stepping out.  
  
- - - - -  
  
Christoph landed outside, looking for Mange, he checked behind the dumpsters, calling out her name, her real name.  
  
"What do you want?" Mange asked, appearing behind him.  
  
"Oh there you are." He turned, dodging a punch. " Well God Damn that was fun wasn't it?" he smiled, walking a few steps away.  
  
"Who were those two?" she asked, slinking around the shadow part of the alley. "I know Blossom, but, the other."  
  
"The other is a random variable, something unforeseen by me, but obviously a part in HIS plan." Christoph said, watching the cops arrive.  
  
"It's not safe here." She said, digging her claws into the wall and reaching the roof. "Don't follow me."  
  
"Of course not, Mange, I wouldn't dare cross the commander of Hell's New army." Christoph smiled. " But don't worry, you go on your personal trip of discovery, and when you find out there's nothing left for you...and you WILL.. come find me." Christoph walked into the shadows, his eyes the only thing visible. "Don't' worry about that hunter, I'll pop in if she ever gives you trouble."  
  
Christoph's eyes disappeared as well, and mange moved from sight, towards the church she called home for now.  
  
  
  
Blossom got in the cruiser and sped off towards the downtown district, what most would call the `wrong side of the tracks', and pulled up to a large warehouse, shutting off the headlights and looking around carefully for would be `trouble'.  
  
Getting out she locked the doors and walked to the small door that led into the building she had stopped at, knocking on the door. Moments of silence passed and soon a peek hole opened up and a set of eyes blinked at her.  
  
"Who izz it?" a voice asked, looking around and then down at Blossom. " Ahh, it izz you...what do you want?"  
  
"I need a analysis on this." Blossom said, pulling out the vile of green fluid she had collected. "and quickly."  
  
"I see, it will cost you..." the voice answered back.  
  
"You usual fee?" Blossom reached inside her jacket and pulled out a wad of cash.  
  
"That will do. Put it in the drawer." A small drawer pushed out from the door. "I will contact you. And don't forget the money too."  
  
Blossom nodded and put both the envelope and the vial inside, watching them disappear into the door. "See that you do, the only thing keeping this place from being raided is me you know."  
  
The eyes glared, a glint of the street lights reflected off the unknown person's glasses. "I am well aware of that, Blossom.."  
  
"See that you remember that, Dexter.." Blossom turned and walked back to her car. Hearing the door slit slam shut, she walked even faster, unlocking her car and getting back in, she peeled out of the area and back towards the main island of Townsville.  
  
  
  
Mange landed out on the streets of the area her lair was, her head full of confusion, the events that had just happened, the realization of her past, all of it a mess in her head.  
  
"Am I truly Buttercup?" she asked herself, moving in the shadows, making her way slowly to her church. "or is this another trick by HIM?"  
  
Walking back in she sat down on a bench, looking out across the vast darkness that filled the area, feeling alone, as always, she closed her eyes, trying to remember.  
  
A sound startled her and then a punch pushed her to the ground, she scrambled to her feet and looked around. Her chains begin to float about, like snakes about to strike prey, as she scanned the area.  
  
"Now if I had been a Hunter, you would have been dead." Christoph said, standing behind her.  
  
"You said you wouldn't follow me." She growled, slashing at him.  
  
"I lied. Get over it." He smiled, kicking her to the ground hard, leaving skid marks on the rotting floor. " It's time for lesson two in your training, HE wants you tip top for the big push, and it's my job to make sure you get it right."  
  
"What are you talking about!?" she flipped to her feet, her chains floating still.  
  
"Well first of all, you need to figure out how to completely use that nice little costumed you've been cursed...er.. blessed with. " he smiled, walking around her. " After all, you are our leading lady, now, pay attention."  
  
She sneered but listened, perhaps using them later on him might not be so bad.  
  
"It's really simply, actually, you think, it reacts. To a certain extent. First, the chains, try sending some towards that wall, punch a hole through it." He pointed to the outer wall of the church, waiting.  
  
"From right here? That's too far, I'd need a lot of chain to--"she was cutoff.  
  
"Just try...think and it will work for you." He said, pushing her a little.  
  
Mange turned and started to look at the wall, thinking `chain' and nothing happened. Chris pushed her down.  
  
"Come on, better." He sneered, kicking her.  
  
"I'm doing my BEST!" she growled, two chains shooting from inside her cape, one scraped him and the other missed.  
  
"That's even better. You have to visualize what you want done, before it happens." Christoph grinned and pointed.  
  
"I'd like to see your face on the ground with your body a foot away." She growled, standing up, her chains rattling.  
  
"I thought we learned this lesson already, Don't Fuck with Chris." Chris said, looking at her, dodging another chain that shot out at him." Maybe we need to recap?"  
  
He dodged two more and sighed, reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out the handle he had before and rolled, snapping the blade into place as he did, coming behind her.  
  
She hissed and backhanded him, missing, she received a handle to the face, pushing her backwards.  
  
"With brashness like that, it's a wonder you lasted so long as a Powerpuff Girl.." he grinned, slicing down at her, but his sword met not flesh, but metal, and was slung up in the air and landed in a nearby wood bench far from them.  
  
"I may have been brash, but I'm learning...." She smiled, sending two bulky tipped chains towards him, knocking him to the ground and a few feet away.  
  
"Indeed you are," he snapped up and rushed at a speed blinding to her, grabbing his sword, he shoulder blocked into her, knocking her hard into a stone alter, cracking it to pieces with her body. "But you're far from beating your Master, or even I."  
  
She pulled herself up, and before she could react, a blade was at her throat.  
  
"Don't think you're invincible either. One head chop and your as dead as you used to be." Christoph put the sword aside, and offered her a hand up "Bear that in mind."  
  
She growled and stood up.  
  
"Good. Now you practice, and when you think you can kick my ass, just call out my name." Christoph smiled and walked into the shadows, vanishing except for his red eyes. "And remember, the sooner you figure out you aren't Buttercup anymore, the better off we'll all be. But do what you want. For Now."  
  
The eyes vanished as his laugher filled the church.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED AFTER FEEDBACK  
  



	7. Mange: Chapter 6

Mange  
  
(Chapter 6)  
  
By  
  
Mastermind (mind@eot.com)  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
Spawn and Related Indicia are copyright by Todd McFarlene and his army of Lawyers, I'm simply paying homage to him.  
  
Batman Beyond and all related indicia are copyright of Time Warner and the WB, I simply like the way they got Kenny Wayne Shepherd to play the intro to their only feature film (so far) and that's why I refer to it in the intro.  
  
Christoph © 1997-2002 Mastermind.  
  
Powerpuff Girls and Related Indicia are copyright of Cartoon Network and Craig McCraken I simply think they have more potential then they are using now.  
  
  
  
Blossom sighed softly, letting the water run down her body, the nice soothing shower a break to the recent violence that had filled her life in the past 48 hours. Gang members, Library robberies that aren't, fabrics that shouldn't be, it was a lot for a former superhero turned average detective.  
  
Washing the rest of the soap off of her chest, she opened the door and wrapped herself in a towel, grabbing another one and doing her hair. As she pushed open the bathroom door of her meager apartment, she looked around, a subconscious feeling that she was being watched always inside her head.  
  
The phone rang, causing her to jump.  
  
Walking over to it, she looked at the caller ID and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" she adjusted her towel, making sure it wouldn't fall off. "Dexter, good, and what did you find out?"  
  
"Well Blossom, this stuff you gave me is off the charts."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"I broke this green zhit down and half of it isn't even on the elemental table!"  
  
"How can that be?"  
  
"It can't, so whatever you gave me was either tainted, or from outer fucking spaaace!"  
  
"What were you able to identify?"  
  
"What the computer was able to ID was a few basic things, Brimstone, water, green goo, your basic things that can't exist together..."  
  
"Brimstone?"  
  
"Yeah, you know, Brimstone, fire and brimstone, like the stuff in hell" he said with a chuckle. "Sulfur, genius, brimstone is sulfur."  
  
"Ah, thanks for the help."  
  
"You owe me a date you kn—"  
  
Blossom hung up before he could finish; her thoughts elsewhere. How could something like that be in whomever that was? It must have been acting as its blood, wasn't' it?  
  
"No, that's as crazy as it being Buttercup." She said to herself, walking into her bedroom and shutting the door.  
  
Grabbing some things from a few drawers, she let her towel fall, the moonlight from the cracked blinds reflecting off her curves. Putting on her bra and panties, she heard the phone ring again, and this time decided to let her machine get it.  
  
Putting on different things she scoffed, tossing various items from her closet to the floor, unable to find the right vest or right blazer. Finally finding the right colors, she threw her outfit on and put her gun and badge in their places and headed for the door, forgetting about the answer machine blinking with a new message.  
  
  
  
Mange paced in her 'home base' as she called it, the old run down church in a slum area of Townsville had been her home now for a good two days now, soon to be three. Many things swirled through her mind, none of which were making any sense.  
  
"Ok, so I was obviously killed by this jerk off named HIM, I went to Hell, and then I sold my soul?" Mange paced, her chains floating around her like snakes waiting to strike. "That just doesn't sound like me…wait I don't even know who I am. I'm not this Buttercup, she died. WHO AM I!?"  
  
She threw her chains towards the center podium of the church, smashing wood and sending splitters everywhere.  
  
"On the upside, I'm getting the hang on these things." She smirked, or went through the motions, having no lower jaw to smirk with. "Maybe being a new person isn't such a bad idea, I've got this urge to kick ass, and apparently before I wasn't able to, being a super heroine."  
  
She paced faster, her memories running into each other, her cape flowing with her mood, calm at first, then getting faster and more alive as she did.  
  
She let out a growl and looked toward a beer bottle to her left, a chain shooting from under her cape from seemingly nowhere and shattering it, it's claw at the end closing and turning into a spearhead. "Getting better." She smiled and retracted the third chain, she had come to realize that she must have two visible, and a lot more she can call on. "Maybe it's time for a field test." She grinned to herself.  
  
Looking upward, her chains shot forward, grabbing what stable piece of the roof was left and clamping onto it, pulling her to the top, where she gathered herself and looked around, looking for a likely target.  
  
"Ah-ha! " She smiled, spotting a pair of men walking down the far side of the neighborhood. "Perfect." She smiled, her eyes flaring green in the darkness, and she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, closing in on them.  
  
  
  
Deep in the center of Townsville, a shadowy figure walked back and forth before a smashed window, a cape flowing behind it.  
  
"Curse those …no…Curse that Blossom, even in this 'Brave New World', she continues to interfere with my plans!" a filtered female voice said, her features still in the shadows, a few computer screens flickering data. "Those Powerpuff girls, like weeds, cut one down, another pops up!"  
  
A well developed female figure emerged from the shadows, her attire identical to that of the greatest nemesis of Townsville, Mojo Jojo.  
  
"15 years, and still they impede my progress in conquering this city! " the girl continued her rant, her face covered in a gas mask device of sorts, the air hoses running to a tank on her back. "I, Mojo Jojo, having defeated death it's self, still cannot rule a town for which he so rightly deserves!"  
  
"You're such the ham, Mojo, even in that new body." A familiar voice said, causing Mojo to turn to his computer screens. "That's one of your problems, BUT ONE OF MANY!" HIM's face appeared on one of the screens near Mojo.  
  
"You!"  
  
"No, I'm HIM!" HIM smiled.  
  
"What is going on? You said by the time this time release activated, the girls would but be dissolved from what they used to be, but still, I see Blossom as a police officer, and some chick who thinks she is Spore!" Mojo turned, his cape flowing as he walked to the screen.  
  
"Tsk Tsk, Monkey boy, all good things come to those who wait…" Him smiled as he lounged around his lair. "Unforeseen problems always arise, and I NEED YOU TO DEAL WITH THEM!"  
  
"Oh, really, and how shall I be doing that?! I am nearly drained of all my weapons and technology, AND I am living in less then expectable quarters!" Mojo yelled at the screen.  
  
"Now let's not BITCH AND COMPLAIN Mojo, if you would just close your trap for TWO SECONDS…you'll find out I have the solution to your first problem." HIM growled, his eyes turning red with fury.  
  
"I sure hope its better then your library scheme!" Mojo growled.  
  
"Oh I think you'll like this…"  
  
An image popped up on the screen next to HIM, a set of white buildings and a fence surrounding it, a very secure looking area.  
  
"What? There?! Security's going to be tight." Mojo scowled, rubbing the chin piece of his mask.  
  
"Oh Yes. But THINK OF THE FUN!" HIM grinned.  
  
  
  
"Hey man, you hear something?" a medium build man asked his companion walking with him, turning towards a dark alleyway.  
  
"No, why?" his friend replied.  
  
"I dunno, I just swear I heard something.." he continued, walking towards the intersection ahead.  
  
"You're just drunk.." his friend said.  
  
* * * *  
  
Mange slide along the sides of the brick walls, moving ever closer to the two as they spoke of the small noise she had made when she landed. Her eyes beginning to flux between red and green colors, her breathing getting labored and husky, and her chains rattling slowly against one another.  
  
She smiled and moved out of the shadows, eyeing the closer of the two, her chain slowly rising with her mental will, arching backwards like a snake ready to strike. She grinned with glee; she sent the mental signal for them to—  
  
N7o.  
  
"Huh?" she thought to herself, trying to send the idea of sending her strike chain into the passerby's skull.  
  
But she couldn't.  
  
She watched as they walked out of the her sight, down the city blocks and far around the corner, leaving her standing in the darkness, puzzled.  
  
She gritted her teeth.  
  
Teeth?!  
  
She felt under her scarf, and her eyes widened as she felt her now present lower jaw. What was happening to her? She was regrowing parts she had lost? How can the dead regenerate? Could it be she—  
  
An explosion!  
  
She leapt without thinking towards it, scaling the walls and landing on her feet to the rooftops, she saw smoke bellowing from a far off set of buildings.  
  
"Now what?" she thought, running towards the commotion.  
  
  
  
An entire section of wall was missing from a downtown business, the sign on the outside read " Utonium Industries.", a female figure running into the smoking hole, a purple cape flowing behind her.  
  
"Run for your lives if you can, little girls!" Mojo cackled, her voice husky from within her mask, opening fire with her weapon, security guards running left and right from the shots, returning fire.  
  
"This is Utonium Security Force, main building under attack, she's got us pinned down, request— ", the female was interrupted by a phaser blast shattering her radio followed by another shot shattering her skull.  
  
"Captains down, Open up!" another girl yelled, popping up and returning a volley of handgun fire. Several shots bounced off the ground, but even more hit dead on Mojo's mask, ricocheting off it as well did the ones that hit her center mass in the chest. "She's got some sorta body armor, we nee-"  
  
Another girl dropped down, chest blown open by Mojo's gun.  
  
The rest began to run, all but maybe two making it to the emergency exit as Mojo showered them with laser fire.  
  
"Well, that was not as difficult as I thought it would be." Mojo said, stepping over various bodies and making her way to the main corridor. "Now to find the weapons cache.  
  
Suddenly a set of grenades fell into the hallway she was in, fired from far down the hall, and smoke began to fill the corridor.  
  
"Then again maybe not." Mojo said, readying her weapon. A series of assault rifle fire opened up from the far end, followed by a team of guards with SWAT technology, various bulletproof shielding in front of them as they moved in on her.  
  
"Throw down your weapon and surrender, you are surrounded and out numbered!" a male voice shouted over an intercom.  
  
"Mojo does not give up to anyone!" Mojo smiled, opening fire on the SWAT members before her, slicing through the shielding they held, obviously not laser proof.  
  
"Shit, Blue Team move in!" a voice shouted from the gas cloud.  
  
Mojo grunted and pulled a secondary trigger on his gun, lobbing a small sphere into the area ahead of him. "Try THIS on for size!"  
  
The orb detonated and a crowd of SWAT members went flying as Mojo blew open a nearby locked door and ran inside, trying to catch her breath and figure an alternate plan of attack.  
  
* * * *  
  
Blossom arrived on scene, her car sliding sideways to a stop as she dove out and ran to the front lines, weapon drawn.  
  
"What do you got?" she asked Sparky, already on scene.  
  
"Looks like that same nut we saw at the Library is in there shooting up the place." Sparky said, shouting orders to various officers.  
  
"The cloaked one?" Blossom asked, her eyes widening.  
  
"No, the Mojo one."  
  
"Hey, what the hell is that?!" an officer shouted pointing to the skyline.  
  
Blossom looked up towards the top of the building, a shadowy figure moved towards the top of the building and out of sight. "I'm going in." Blossom cocked her pistol and popped up from her spot, running towards the entrance of the laboratory.  
  
Sparky looked at her and growled, and then looked towards two SWAT members. " God dammit go with her!".  
  
Blossom burst through the doors and run up the central stairs, making her way past the chunks of rubble that had dislodged during the explosions. She settled for a minute, making sure she was clear and noticed her escort coming in. She ignored them and continued on; breaking every now and then to make sure she wasn't walking into a trap.  
  
Deciding against using the elevators with the building in it's current state, she pushed open the fire stairs hallway door and ran up them, the sound of gun fire getting ever louder with each set of stairs she ascended.  
  
* * * *  
  
Mange slinked along the top of the building, coming to the stairwell door, she tried to open the door using the knob with little effect. Smiling, she focused her thoughts on the knob and a chain shot from under her cloak, the claw end gripping the knob and pulling hard, popping the knob and handle completely free, allowing the door to swing open. Letting the knob fall with a metal clank, she walked in, her cloak flowing down the stairs as she descended towards the fighting below.  
  
Climbing down three levels she came to a stop, another explosion rocked the building. She glanced around and saw smoke rising from the next set of stairs, followed by gun fire. She grinned slightly and broke into a run towards the sounds of fighting below.  
  
Coming to the next level, smoke filled her field of vision. Looking harder she realized that the corridor was full of dead bodies, all security guards from the building obviously. Stepping over them occasionally, she made her way towards a door marked "Weapons Storage", which appeared to have been blown open.  
  
Stepping in, she heard cluttering in the far lab, papers shuffling and glass shattering. Nearing closer, she heard low grumbling and saw a shadow moving quickly in the room ahead of her.  
  
"And this, and this, This will also do.." a familiar laughter echoed in the lab.  
  
Mange stepped in and saw the same person she met at the library, the person claiming to be Mojo Jojo, someone she knew couldn't be, according to the news reports, she killed him. "Hold it Right there, Monkey man.."  
  
"Eh?" Mojo turned and gazed towards the black figure standing before her. "You!"  
  
"You ain't going no where but back to Hell!" Mange grinned, throwing her scarf aside, letting her newly formed face come to the light.  
  
Her features had developed nicely, a set of glowing green eyes, her skin had yet to completely begin to heal, still scared and missing from areas of her face, her newly grown teeth glimmering in the soft light, they had grown at angles, forming fiercer looking points at the ends of them, giving her the image of a vampire of sorts.  
  
" You…" Mojo stepped back.  
  
"Me?" Mange grinned, walking closer, her chains rattling.  
  
"You..can't be.." Mojo stepped back again, reaching behind her back.  
  
"Whatever, now, drop the goods, Mojo." Mange's chains rustled, waving in front of Mojo.  
  
"Never!" Mojo opened fire, ducking out of the way of the chains.  
  
Mange grunted, taking two rounds in her shoulder and one in the chest.  
  
"Die!" Mojo shouted, firing even more, various bullets hitting her.  
  
Mange fell, grunting and spraying green fluid all over the room. She sat up and looked at Mojo, who was in shock from the fact he emptied a complete clip into her and she was still conscious. Looking down at her chest, her armor was splattered with green holes, showing through to whatever flesh was left beneath the armor. Slowly, as Mojo and Mange looked on, the wounds began sealing quickly, popping out the bullets.  
  
Mange looked up and grinned at Mojo. "Damn "  
  
Mange leaped forward and another shot rang out, this time hitting the floor between them, causing them to turn to its source.  
  
"Freeze, Townsville PD!" Blossom trained her gun on both of them, switching back and forth on occasion. "Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt, now both of you, weapons and hands on the floor!"  
  
"Must I always be bothered, it is bad enough I am hounded by this creature, but NOW the authorities?!" Mojo growled from behind her mask.  
  
The two SWAT members ran in behind her, covering each of the parties in room.  
  
"Get 'em boys." Blossom motioned, the two moving towards mange and Mojo.  
  
"I have not the time nor the patience for this…HA!" Mojo yelled, pulling a flask from his belt and throwing it in front of him, creating a screen of smoke between him, Mange, and the others.  
  
"Damn!" Mange yelled, moving out of the stray bullets that flew as the smoke began to fill the room.  
  
"You will never take, Mojo Jojo! " Mojo yelled through her gas mask, pushing over a cart of chemicals nearby, spilling them on the floor. "Not to mention you will not be leaving here in one piece." Mojo laughed, pulling out a small orb and throwing it on the liquids, igniting them.  
  
Blossom began to get over taken by the fumes, coughing and backing up as the flames began to over take her and her men. Blossom squinted, looking through what smoke she could, trying to make out the stranger that had appeared twice now to intervene, but couldn't and finally took off full sprint down the stairs and into the lobby as the flames grew even higher, hitting a tank marked 'Explosive'.  
  
Mange gasped as she saw the fire lick at the tank, and a split second later, explode.  
  
Blossom flew forward with a grunt from the force of the explosion, smashing her head into a marble bench in the crumbling lobby, knocking her out.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED AFTER FEEDBACK  
  
. 


	8. Mange: Chapter 7

Mange  
  
(Chapter 7)  
  
By  
  
Mastermind (mind@eot.com)  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
Spawn and Related Indicia are copyright by Todd McFarlene and his army of Lawyers, I'm simply paying homage to him.  
  
Batman Beyond and all related indicia are copyright of Time Warner and the WB, I simply like the way they got Kenny Wayne Shepherd to play the intro to their only feature film (so far) and that's why I refer to it in the intro.  
  
Christoph © 1997-2002 Mastermind.  
  
Powerpuff Girls and Related Indicia are copyright of Cartoon Network and Craig McCraken I simply think they have more potential then they are using now.  
  
  
  
Buttercup soared through the skies of Townsville, unable to see many things in her way as she dodged fire from down below, far down on the streets where crazed packs of HIM's demons fired at her and her sister. Dodging a near fatal blast, she and her sister, Blossom, laid down suppressing cover fire as Bubbles took out what seemed to be the main reactor of the shield that was protecting HIM's domain he had claimed when the invasion began. It was now or never, HIM was the last, Mojo was gone, the others either dead or in custody, and this would be the decisive blow for good and justice.  
  
HIM growled loud, rising up from his throne in the city and growing in mass equal to many of the buildings around him. "You girls WON'T STOP ME NOW!" HIM blasted at them with energy beams, rapidly firing from his mouth.  
  
"Oh yes we will! Girls, circle and cover for threat, I'm going in!" Blossom motioned to them, Buttercup and Bubbles looking at each other and opening laser eye fire on the HIM's location, causing him to have to track multiple targets.  
  
Bubbles suddenly stopped, turning towards a pile of rubble, her hearing possibly picking up something.  
  
Buttercup remained on course, taking out various demons and minions in her flight path. She soon noticed her sister's lack of cover fire with her, and turned around, heading back at her. "Bubbles!?"  
  
"You're reign of terror ends now, Tyrant!" Blossom circled under HIM's torso and rammed into her chest, pushing him backwards and into various buildings, letting out a howl for victory. Her cries were cut short as a set of lasers hit her and she went down a bit, hovering before regaining flight status and circling HIM again. "You're gunna have to be better them that, HIM!" Blossom opened fire, tearing open lesions on HIM's chest, green fluid spilling out onto the grounds below. She flew through and lost sight of her sisters, as she turned for yet another significant attack pattern, her many years of crayons and scribbles finally coming into play, just as she had hoped.  
  
Buttercup flew by Bubbles, noting her absent stare, her eyes transfixed on something below, in the distance, from lower downtown where they had just come. "What's wrong?' she asked, hovering next to her.  
  
Bubbles remained silent, her pupils becoming small and absent, her very mental state seemed to be slipping from her, and that scared Buttercup.  
  
"What's wrong, are you hit? Tell me! ", Buttercup asked frantically, concerned like she never thought she could be until that moment.  
  
Bubbles turned to her sister finally, and nodded, not to her, but to something else, something Buttercup couldn't identify. A second later, Bubbles landed a hard blow to her face a few times, dazing Buttercup to the point of her equilibrium began to flux, and she wobbled in mid-air. Bubbles then grunted and put all her power into a single chop that hit the back of Buttercup's neck, sending her hurdling to the ground, into the fires below. Something in her subconscious made her think, "Dammit, now both of them have done it..."  
  
Mange sat straight up, gasping and crying out a moment, before looking around, making sure of her surroundings. It was still night time, and she was on top of a building several blocks away, but how?  
  
"The explosion!" she gasped, looking towards the buildings in front of her, several on fire and the main on in pieces. "I wonder if she made it out."  
  
"You don't have to worry about that, "A voice said from behind her, " In fact in a few minutes, you won't have to worry about anything at all!"  
  
Mange moved on pure instinct, dodging a blade coming at her neck, rolling to face her opponent. A tall girl, the same she had seen at the library, was standing before her, rather tight looking silver plating all over her, and in her hands, a sword, double edged.  
  
"You're growing more powerful by the day; you should be dead from my quick swing..." she said, walking towards her slowly. " You saw it before it happened…didn't you?"  
  
"Who are you!?" Mange asked chains flaring about in a defensive stance  
  
"Me? I thought we met before..." Spice slashed at her again. "I'm Heaven's personal bounty hunter, if you will, Spice is the name, and killing Mange's like you is my greatest thrill..."  
  
Mange hissed, backing up from the attacks. "I remember you now, you tried to kill me!" Mange dodged another stab, rolling and leaping at her.  
  
"That's more like it!" Spice smiled, using Mange's body weight to hurl her into a brick wall, or rather, through one!  
  
"ARGH!" Mange grunted, pulling her self up on what bricks were left, scanning the area for her target.  
  
"Gotta be faster then that!" Spice grinned, thrashing from above her, and jumping down, blade aimed at her head. "You're mine!"  
  
The blade, along with Spice, was suddenly cast aside from her vision, a blur moving around Mange and pushing her near the edge of the roof.  
  
"Get going, girl." Christoph said, coming to a halt before a mangled Mange. "I'll deal with this, you go and heal, and we'll play later!" Christoph grinned and turned to Spice, who was recovering.  
  
"Christoph!" Spice growled, pulling herself and her blade upright. "I should have known!"  
  
"Spice, nice meeting you too." Christoph pulled out a sword as well, or rather a hilt, and pressed a button on the side of it, a blade of energy rising out and glowing, lighting up Christoph's face.  
  
"Always a flair for the dramatics, eh, hon?" Spice spat at the ground as she said the last part, obviously symbolizing something only they knew about. "Stay out of my way, she's mine."  
  
"Ah, but she's my responsibility, until she matures, ergo, we..." Christoph spun the blade a few times, a 'vnnnnn' cut through the air as the red blade of energy shone bright "are at an Impasse..."  
  
Christoph slashed at her, as she did him, their blades connecting, her's slicing off, the top part hitting the ground.  
  
"Damn you!"  
  
"Been there done that."  
  
Spice backed up, closing her eyes, raising her hand upward, seemingly praying, and suddenly lightening struck her hand, leaving a hilt like his in it. Pressing the button a similar blade shot out, its white glow filling the rooftop as well.  
  
"Well, if this isn't a Lucas moment..." Christoph grinned and slashed her again, the blades connecting and holding ground on each other, neither overpowering the other. "Hmm… "  
  
Spice grinned and spun, slashing at him only to be blocked from the side, and sliced on her other arm by the red blade.  
  
Spice yelled, tumbling backwards to safety, "You know this is really stupid.." Spice said finally.  
  
"What can I say, Hell Forge weaponry meets ILM." Chris grinned, making a reference many would understand. "Besides, it's fitting for us, after all, light against dark?"  
  
Spice lunged forward, slicing him in the leg, and landing behind him as he grabbed his leg. She stood up, smiling at him as he turned around, eyes glowing red.  
  
"Ok, now I'm getting mad..." Chris growled, running at her.  
  
Mange watched from her sitting position, awestruck and confused at the same time, her cape covering the area around her in a black mass of nothingness. A blaze of red and white filled the rooftop, the weapons they wielded obviously an unearthly power, amazed her. Her body still worn from the explosion and semi fight she had with Spice beginning to heal, she sat there, unsure of what to do. Christoph had saved her, but he seemed hardly the type to back, however, the other, who called herself Spice, wasn't exactly there to help her either. Confusion ran through her head as the two fought, each countering and attacking the other with precision  
  
Christoph began to be pushed back by her blows, the blades of power beginning to get too fast for him, unsure of how much more he could take, he flipped to another ledge, hoping to lose her.  
  
Spice smiled, she was winning, and as soon as this creature before her was gone, the Mange would be ripe for the pickings. Her swings held their strength, unlike her opponents, and began to push him back, his feeble attempts at fleeing were for not as she leaped to the next building as well, attacking furiously, but with the power of the heaven's rushing through her, the powers bestowed on her to destroy the evils of the other side.  
  
Christoph fell backwards from one of the blows he blocked, rolling to a side as the blade of heaven sliced down on him, grazing his back slightly. He growled and flipped to his feet, landing a blow of his own, one Spice blocked, but was pushed back as well.  
  
"Your skills are weak, compared to mine, Spice." Christoph began to trash talk, attempting to distract her. "Soon you will fall before my superior powers, the power of.."  
  
Spice threw a flurry of swings at him, driving him back "If you even say 'The Power of the Dark Side', I will kill you even slower!"  
  
Christoph held his ground, glancing around for help of some sort from the terrain. He saw Mange watching, cursing himself for not pushing her to safety. His attention diverted, he was knocked to the ground by Spice, and watched as she swirled in place, a blade of light coming at him, he raised his, stopping it inches from his neck.  
  
"Our game is at an end, soon…" Spice grinned, " And my job will be half complete, once I destroy your new pet…"  
  
" Never!" Christoph kicked her in the jaw hard, sending her into a stairway door.  
  
Christoph rushed her, only to be knocked back by an object being hurled at him by her, the looks of which seemed to be a fire extinguisher.  
  
Spice rose and they resumed, each bearing the signs of fatigue, as their blades lit the area around them.  
  
  
  
Blossom held her head, looking around she saw the familiar flash of police and paramedic lights around her, a state of confusion filled the air as she attempted to get up.  
  
"Look, there she is over there!" a voice cried out near her, footfalls getting closer.  
  
Several paramedics and firefighters ran to her and helped her up, others attempted to contain the fire around them, the building beginning to creak and rumble as the entire complex began to shake.  
  
"its gunna go, everyone get out NOW!" a firefighter yelled, cutting the hoses and running out.  
  
Blossom stumbled with their help, making it out in time as the entire lobby fell behind them, pushing dust and debris into the air and subsequently into their lungs.  
  
Sparky ran over to her, helping them get her to a stretcher. " Blossom, you ok?"  
  
"I've been better..." Blossom groaned as she lay back on the bedding, vitals being taken.  
  
"I've got this under control, why don't you get to the hospital, I'll see you soon." Sparky smiled.  
  
"I'll be back faster then you think..." she smiled back, being raised into the back.  
  
Sparky watched as they took off with her, lights and sirens blazing, and then turned back to the site commander of the Search and Rescue." Well?"  
  
"Doesn't look good, no survivors form inside aside from her and a few of the guards that were in the other buildings and the press already took a damn statement from one of them!" he said, shaking his head. "No sign of that Mojo character either.."  
  
"Well keep searching, dammit." Sparky cursed, lighting a cigarette. "The only way she survived was that residual syndrome, or whatever that Professor called it.."  
  
"You mean the PowerPuff Residual syndrome?"  
  
"Yeah, that..." Sparky said, walking off to another sector.  
  
"Well, then that Mojo character shouldn't even have stood a chance either then, shouldn't be anything to worry about …"  
  
  
  
Bubbles held her head, looking around, she sat straight up, panting and looking around even more, until finally realizing she was in her apartment still, nothing was real.."The dreams are getting worse..." she mumbled, looking for some aspirin, she turned on the TV. " Mojo, it's always about Mojo..never Fuzzy or HIM, just Mojo.." she shivered.  
  
"..have reported they have no signs of survivors so far, aside from Officer Blossom Utonium, who was rushed off from the scene. Some others, who were witness to the attack, had the following to say.." the TV blared as Bubbled swallowed two pills, she turned to it, a look of shock came over her. "It was Mojo!" one of the women said, her head bandaged up.  
  
Bubbles walked slowly to the TV, listening in disbelief.  
  
"As you have already heard, Mojo Jojo, was believed behind this attack, although how he would be able to, no one is talking so far, the iconic Villain of the one time team of super heroines, 'The Powerpuff Girls', was seen however, by all those interviewed so far, more on this later.."  
  
Bubbles sat on the couch, holding her head, staring at the floor. " I think I'm going crazy.." she said softly, weeping.  
  
A cluttering from the one closet she had startled her, causing her to jump up and turn towards it instinctively, something carried over form her childhood days.  
  
Walking over she hesitated to open it, but knew she had to. Besides, it was probably nothing, just some old knickknacks falling from a box.  
  
Reaching for the handle, she turned it and opened the closet, shedding light on the contents inside.  
  
She gasped at what she saw.  
  
  
  
Cybermorph watched the report, sighing inside his mask, and pulling out a syringe, he stared at it.  
  
"I'm beginning to hate myself. but, you gotta go where the money is.." he growled from inside his mask, turning from the broadcast in the window of the TV store he stood in front of, he walked into the warehouse and into the middle of the meeting of his employers, The Him Worshippers.  
  
"Blessed be his name..HIM!" the crowd chanted, their leader in the middle, leading the crowd on.  
  
Standing and watching he walked into the central area, standing and waiting for them to finish.  
  
"Ah, our great Warrior has returned, and have you, Cybermorph, achieved your mission?" the leader stepped down, walking to him.  
  
"I did, whoever that was, has been injected..thou I don't know why you need bother with such a person, her apartment was—"  
  
"Your's isn't to reason, isn't it? You said so yourself.." the leader smiled, hoping to deter him from further questions.  
  
"Right, then where's my money?"  
  
"Ever the Mercenary, very well, if money is all you desire, then money is what you shall have..." the leader pulled out a thicker envelope then before, and handed it to him.  
  
"Great..now, unless there's something else?" Cybermorph counted it with his visual receptors, speed counting out the thousands he'd demanded. "I'll be going."  
  
"Nothing for now, of course, we can count on you if we need you again?"  
  
"If the money is there, then yes."he said, walking out.  
  
"Then you shall hear from us again..soon.." he said as Cybermorph walked out.  
  
  
  
Christoph fended off her attacks again and again, flipping and turning to run from her, he felt a blade slice his leg, causing him to swear and tumble, rolling out of range.  
  
"Damn!" Christoph said, holding his leg, "You never give up, do you, Spice?!"  
  
Spice moved in, but was caught in the chin with a kick from his boot, sending her stumbling.  
  
"You NEVER give up!" Christoph smiled, standing, his leg still bleeding.  
  
Mange stepped up, finally getting her bearings, and began to decide what to do. She was unsure of whose side, if any, she was on. Christoph had saved her, but didn't feel in her heart as if he were the right one to save.  
  
"I'll never give up, Not after what you did!" Spice slashed at him, sending a piercing sound of her saber through the air, missing her mark.  
  
"You know that holding grudges, causes unneeded stress!" Christoph kicked her legs from under her, sending her to the ground and her weapon reeling to the edge, just teetering on the ledge." And leads to sloppy swordsmanship..." he grinned.  
  
"Dammit!" Spice cursed, rushing to the edge.  
  
Christoph smiled and rushed her, kicking her in the gut with enough force to lift her off the ground, landing her hopelessly far form her Heaven's Blade. "It seems as though the other side's about to lose one of it's finest..pity for you..but a wonderful mark on the résumé! " Christoph sliced through the air, marching ever closer to her.  
  
Mange watched with uneasiness as Christoph hacked at Spice, slicing one of her legs to a bloody stump. Cringing her eyes, she felt a impulse run through her, but was unable to react.  
  
"There's still a chance, Spice.." Christoph said, kicking her in the ribs again, her power seemingly gone and exhausted from the fight she and Christoph had just had." You know you can always join us.."  
  
"Never.." Spice said, coughing up a bit of blood and looking up.  
  
"Together, we can take countless souls..." Christoph clinched his fist at her, almost begging her.  
  
"'And rule the universe as father and son'; I've seen the movie…' Spice spat on him, blood spattering on his boots.  
  
Christoph seemed a bit taken back by it, looking down at the blood and to his weapon, then back to her. He was nearly on top of her as he knelt near her, looking into her tired eyes with his fiery ones. Looking hard into her eyes, a sense of almost remorse and sorrow flared for a moment in them, or so she thought. "Don't Make Me Destroy You…"  
  
"Bugger off!" Spice smashed her knee into his groin, sending him reeling backwards, holding himself, and cursing loudly. Spice seemed to laugh a bit.  
  
"So be it…" Christoph finally spouted out, pulling his blade high, preparing for the kill. "Hunter!" Christoph looked over, smiling as mange watched on, hoping this would be a good lesson for her to observe if she was to fulfill her destiny as The Mange.  
  
Mange felt another impulse run through her, and didn't have time to think, her pure instincts taking over. Her chains snapping to life, she sent them flying forward, smashing them hard into Christoph with enough force to knock him over. "No!" she screamed, leaping upward and coming down at him, spears at the ends of her chains.  
  
Christoph rolled in time, the spears scraping his jacket and sliding through the roof of the building they were on.  
  
"It seems you need another lesson in obedience, Mange!" Christoph growled, smashing his fist into her face.  
  
Mange stumbled, holding her head with her hands, growling in pain. Raising her head, the light from the sky shone on her face, a half decaying half normal teenage girl's face, her eye's green glow lighting up the path in front of her.  
  
"My Name.." she said, looking at him and throwing her fist up into the bottom of his chin, along with two of her chains impaling through his torso, blood spattering out the other end of his back. "Is Buttercup." She finished, pulling her chains out, watching his body stagger backwards, his eyes glazing over.  
  
Christoph coughed up blood, holding his wounds, staring at her in utter awe.  
  
"I may not remember who I am, but I know one thing. " Buttercup said, her cape fluttering in the wind. "I'm nothing like YOU!" she held out her hand, and watched as it morphed into a blade, which she quickly plunged it through his heart area.  
  
Spice watched, confused, as Mange, or Buttercup, as she called herself, killed her 'trainer' that Hell had assigned to her." Intriguing." she finally said.  
  
Pulling the blade out, Christoph fell to the rooftop floor, his body limp and lifeless. Concentrating, her hand morphed back into its normal shape, and her chains returned to their standard claw tipped talons she had first been 'born' with.  
  
Turning towards Spice's fallen shape, she began to walk over towards her "Now, who ARE you?".  
  
Spice began to speak, but went wide eyed as Christoph got to his feet and charged Buttercup, who began to turn around in surprise.  
  
"How dare you..after all I did for YOU!" Christoph charged at her, his blade lit and ready to strike.  
  
Looking over towards to where her blade had fallen, Spice reached towards it, and in a split second, the handle flew at her hand, landing in it in time for her to draw her blade as well, blocking Christoph's slash at Mange.  
  
Mange gasps and turned around, stumbling backwards from Christoph's position.  
  
"Leave, Demon." Spice finally said, her wounds starting to heal. " You've lost this battle.."  
  
Christoph tried to push forward a bit more, only to be pushed back by Spice's newfound strength.  
  
"You dare challenge me, a warrior of Hell's Ar—:" Christoph screamed as his left hand was cut off, falling to the ground and bursting into flames.  
  
"You are Beaten." Spice said walking up to him,her blade level with his neck " Now to finish the job!"  
  
Before Spice could even pull back for a swing, Christoph's eyes turned red and he thrust his remaining hand forward in a claw like way, pushing Spice backwards quite considerably from her position, accompanied by a low toned whooshing sound.  
  
"Don't Think this is over!" Christoph growled, his body beginning to vanish into nothingness, leaving only his red eyes behind, and soon even they faded from sight  
  
Buttercup backed up a few paces from Spice, her arms and chains ready for another possibly fight, perhaps with this "hunter" as she called herself..  
  
"There's no need to fear me, fallen one." Spice deactivated the blade, putting it on a clip on her side. "Your soul is not mine for the taking…yet."  
  
"What?" Buttercup asked, puzzled.  
  
"You've taken the first step in the right direction. Whether or not you decide to go the rest of the way is something only you can do." Spice smiled, her wounds continuing to heal.  
  
"Why can't I get a straight answer around here?!" Buttercup growled, kicking a foot full of rocks that covered the roof.  
  
"Remain on the path of light, and we will meet again. Return to the dark side that so easily tempted you, and we will meet again sooner then you think." Spice's very essence began to fade.  
  
"Wait..don't go. I need to know who and what I am! Why am I here?!" Buttercup grabbed at her, only to have her claws pass through.  
  
"Those are questions that can only be answered with the passage of time…farewell for now, "Spice's voice was all that remained.  
  
Buttercup grunted in frustration, looking around, she noticed the sun was beginning to rise in the east. Feeling the need to find shelter from the sun immediately, and ran over towards the edge of the building, peering down below. There she saw a darkened alleyway, which was better then nothing at this point.  
  
Glancing around one final time, she jumped from the side and down into the blackness below, disappearing into its endless blanket of nothingness.  
  
  
  
End Of Act I - To Be Continued After Feedback  
  
  
  
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End file.
